Love Lurks In Mysterious Places The Sequel!
by Kitty15
Summary: Hey! Chapter 15 is up and running, and so if you could read it and review I would feel like, great.
1. Chapter 1

~A.N.~ Hey Yawl!! How's it going? And feel free to answer that question in your reviews. I turned this into a sequel to LOVE LURKS IN MYSTERIOUS PLACES because LLIMP was twenty six chapters long and I thought that people would quit reading it if it got any longer. So, here goes LOVE LURKS IN MYSTERIOUS PLACES THE SEQUEL!  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
Just to recap: Isa was rescued by the Andromeda and then her sister, Kristen, ex-friend, Sarah, and best friend, Sammiejo, come to take her home. Isa is a princess of a (thought) distinct civilization, she tells Harper, who takes it surprisingly well. Isa and Harper have fallen in love, Harper has shared the past about his parents with her, and Sammiejo and Tyr have a......thing.  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
Isa and Harper were walking down the corridor towards Harper's room. Isa was holding Harper's hand and resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Tired?" Harper asked as they walked.  
  
"Yeah." Isa replied sleepily. He gently kissed the top of her head.  
  
"Maybe we should get you to bed first." He suggested.  
  
"No. You first. You've gotta get up early."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah. Are we there yet?"  
  
"Almost Darlin'."  
  
"Mmmm......Kay."  
  
They walked for a few more minutes then stopped in front of Harper's quarters.  
  
"You awake Isa?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"We're there."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You wanna come in?"  
  
"Sure." Isa replied. Harper opened the door to his quarters, and led Isa inside.  
  
"Seamus?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Your room is a mess." She said looking around.  
  
"Yeah, well, organized people are just way too lazy to look for things."  
  
"Oh, I guess I'm lazy then."  
  
"Your not lazy."  
  
"I'm organized."  
  
"It doesn't pertain to you."  
  
"Oh. So, are you gonna get ready for bed or not?"  
  
"You want to wait for me to get dressed for bed?"  
  
"Yeah. I wanna tuck you in and besides what's the point of me coming in if I'm only gonna stay for a minute."  
  
"Okay, good point. Uh, you can wait in here and I'll go change." Harper said leading Isa into his bedroom then scurried off into the bathroom and Isa sat down on his bed to wait. When Harper emerged from the bathroom, he was back in his black and hunter green checkered pajama pants and not shirt. Isa was VERY impressed by his muscular body.  
  
"What?" Harper asked when he caught her staring. Isa didn't verbally respond, she just got up, walked over to him, and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Harper immediately began kissing her back and deepened the kiss by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her as close to him as possible. Isa moaned into his mouth and gently pulled her lips from his. She pulled him over next to the bed and began kissing his chest and neck.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked her.  
  
"I love you." She said between kisses.  
  
"Yeah, I love you too. That's why I want you to be sure. I don't want to mess this up." He told her. Isa stopped kissing his neck and looked him straight in the eye.  
  
"You won't mess this up. You couldn't if you tried."  
  
"Okay." He replied and began kissing her again, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She eagerly explored his mouth as well, and her hands roamed freely over his stomach and chest. Then he gently pushed her down onto the bed and they.....You know. I mean this is only a PG-13 story!  
  
***Two and a Half hours later***  
  
"Hey Rommie?" Harper whispered so as not to wake his girlfriend who was asleep with her head on his chest and her arms around him. He gently brushed the hair out of her face as Rommie took shape at the foot of his bed.  
  
"Yes Harper?" She asked his quietly.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"It's 3:00 in the morning."  
  
"Wake me up at like 5:30, would yah?"  
  
"I will, but you need to get more than two and a half hours of sleep."  
  
"I will. I'll go right back to bed as soon as I'm done on command. Okay?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Oh, and try not to wake is up please."  
  
"I won't wake her Harper."  
  
"Thanks Rom."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
"Night." He said wrapping his arms around Isa and falling instantly to sleep.  
  
"Goodnight Harper." Rommie said and disappeared.  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
"So, you guys are like a couple now?" Beka asked Dylan and Holly after being told about their conversation in the hall.  
  
"Sort of." Dylan replied.  
  
"Not a couple per-say." Holly added.  
  
"I'm happy for you." Trance said.  
  
"Me too." Jessica added.  
  
"So am I." Melissa told them.  
  
"Well, I am too, I guess. All I know is that this in going to be one of those days where things are weird and I get a headache. I'm going to bed." Beka finished and left command. As she was leaving the next shift of people came in. Dylan, Holly, Trance, Melissa, and Jessica left as well and after saying goodnight to each other they all headed for their rooms. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Tyr? Tyr wake up." Sammie said as she gently shook the (naked, but) sleeping Neitzchean.  
  
"Woman, go back to sleep." Tyr said rolling over.  
  
"You've got to go take a shower, unless you want to work in Command the way you are now."  
  
"Fine." He said rolling over to face her. He gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "You're very persuasive. Do you know that?"  
  
"Yes I do. But do you now, that no matter how big of a bad ass act you put on, you're still the gentlest man I know?"  
  
"Yes I know, and it's not an act." He replied, got up, put on a pair of briefs, and kissed Sam. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a few hours."  
  
"Okay." She said and laid back down. Tyr waked into the bathroom smiling to himself.  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
"Harper. Harper!" Holo -Rommie said trying to wake her engineer.  
  
"Yeah Rommie, I'm up." Harper said with a start.  
  
"Alright. Just don't fall back asleep, okay?"  
  
"Okay." He said and then Rommie disappeared. Harper slowly and gently untangled himself from Isa and went to shower.  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
Tyr walked out of the bathroom and dressed in his usual leather. He gently kissed Sam on the head and left  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
Harper waked out of the bathroom and dressed in a pair of black work pants and a red sweater. He looked over at Isa and smiled. 'She's go beautiful. I'll have to tell Rev to thank God for sending her to me. I should find her cloths for her.' He thought. He found all of her cloths except for her shirt.  
  
"Where the hell did that go?" He asked himself aloud but a little louder than he should have.  
  
"Where'd what go honey?" Isa asked softly looking up at him. 'STUPID!' He thought to himself as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Nothin' babe. I was looking for your cloths so you wouldn't have to when you woke up and I just can't find your shirt, so I'll give you one of mine to wear, okay?"  
  
"Okay." She replied. He played with a few strands of her hair.  
  
"What did I do to deserve you?" He asked her softly.  
  
"What did you do? Um, well, lets see. You love me, you're smart, sweet, kind, caring, gentle, funny, and perfect in every single way that I can possibly think of."  
  
"Alright, I get it."  
  
"Good, now please don't ever think that you don't deserve me. Okay?" She told his as she sat up, cupped his face in her hands, and looked straight into his eyes.  
  
"Okay. I love you."  
  
"I love you too and I'm really enjoying out moment here, but if you don't get going your gonna be late."  
  
"Yeah I know. Go back to sleep. I'll see you in a bit, okay?"  
  
"Uh huh." Isa replied and snuggled back into the warmth of Harper's blankets. Harper pulled the blankets up over her shoulders and softly kissed her head. He then got a black sweater out of his closet and laid it on the end of the bed next to Isa's cloths and left.  
  
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(  
  
Chelsey stood at the first officers station typing information into the console.  
  
"Hey moony (Chelsey's nickname)?" Maggie asked from the science officers station. Maggie was a pilot and Chelsey was a medical officer, lovingly called Trance's little apprentice. Maggie was 24, tall, with short blonde hair, and she was Ackadian. Ackadians were amazingly strong and agile and have pointy ears. Chelsey was only 20, short, with shoulder length brown hair, but she was Neitzchean; Sabra - Jaguar pride to be exact.  
  
"Yeah?" Chelsey replied not looking up form her work.  
  
"Aren't we two crew members short?" Maggie asked.  
  
"Yeah. Lauren, who's missing?" Chelsey asked looking over to the third occupant of command.  
  
"Uh, Tyr and Harper I think." Lauren replied. Lauren was only 19, tall, golden blonde hair that reached down to the middle of her back, and dark blue eyes. She was half Neitzchean, half human. This made her disliked by most other Neitzcheans.  
  
"Andromeda, where are Harper and Tyr?" Chelsey asked.  
  
"Harper is on his way and Tyr is..."Mainframe Rommie began but was interrupted by Tyr walking in to the room. "There." She finished. Tyr walked over and looked over Chelsey's shoulder at what she was doing.  
  
"Boo!" Tyr yelled from behind Chelsey.  
  
"Oh, God in heaven!" Chelsey screamed in fright. "What was that for?" She asked grasping her chest.  
  
"Move." He stated plainly. Maggie and Lauren both stifled giggles earning them both glares from Tyr.  
  
"Fine." Chelsey replied, went up the ramp, and leaned against the door thinking it was a wall.  
  
"So why were you late Tyr?" Lauren asked with a small smile.  
  
"I was busy." Tyr replied sounding more than a bit annoyed.  
  
"What were you doing? Getting' some?" Maggie asked jokingly.  
  
"Maggie, his hand doesn't count." Chelsey shot. Tyr was instantly angry and began quickly marching up the ramp towards Chelsey. Chelsey's eyes grew as big as dinner plates the instant the realized Tyr was extremely angry and had her trapped.  
  
"Rommie open the wall." Chelsey said in panic.  
  
"What?" The A.I. asked confused. Maggie and Lauren burst into laughter.  
  
"Please open the wall." Chelsey said again as Tyr got closer. "Pleeaassee open the wall."  
  
"But Chelsey..."Andromeda began again.  
  
"Open the Wahhhh!!!!" Chelsey began to say when the door she was pressed up against opened suddenly and she fell to the floor. She looked up into Harper's confused ice blue eyes and waved at him, which confused him even more. "Hi Harper." She said breaking the silence.  
  
"Hi. Uh, moony, why are you on the floor?" He asked her.  
  
"Well, I was leaning up against the door thinking that it was a wall, then I started making fun of Tyr, and he was gonna kick my ass, so I asked Rommie to open the wall, and then you opened the door and......I fell down."  
  
"Well, there does that Neitzhean superiority complex." Harper responded. He held out his hand to help her up, she looked at his hand and then got up on her own. "Okay, I guess it's still there." He finished.  
  
"Harper don't take it personally. She does that to everybody. It's a Chelsey thing." Lauren explained regaining most of her composure.  
  
"Yeah, it's just a me thing, and I do not have a complex!" Chelsey told him.  
  
"Alrighty then." Harper said and walked into command.  
  
"Hey Harper!" Maggie said still slightly giggling.  
  
"Hi Maggie." He returned and then walked over to work next to Lauren. "Hey Lauren."  
  
"Hi Harper." Lauren greeted him with a smile.  
  
"Boy, why were you late?" Tyr addressed him.  
  
"Uh, well....." Harper stammered.  
  
"Get over it Tyr. You were late too." Chelsey said walking back into the room. 


	3. Chapter 3

"So my favorite little half Neitzchean, what's up?" Harper asked as he walked over to where she was stationed.  
  
"Well, lets see, there's the ceiling, some stars, the upper decks, conduits, the...."  
  
"I get it." He cut her off.  
  
"So, rumor has it that you've got yourself a new girlfriend." Lauren said with a slight hint of jealousy.  
  
"Yes I do." He replied smiling and not noticing her tone.  
  
"And here I thought that you were saving yourself for me." She said with a sarcastic gasp and a hurt tone.  
  
"Well, I'd have to talk to Isa, but, personally, a threesome doesn't sound half bad." Harper said with a faraway look in his eyes. Lauren hit him sharply in the back of the head.  
  
"You're nauseating." She said smiling and turning back to her work.  
  
"Ouch! And thank you. But all jokes aside. It's good to have you home." He said giving her a friendly hug.  
  
"It's good to be home." She said giving into his hug.  
  
"You were gone." Tyr asked insultingly.  
  
"Melissa, Jessica, Maggie, Chelsey, Krista, Leslie, and Lauren were all one for like, a week." Harper said not believing that the Kodiak hadn't noticed.  
  
"Harp, give up, he hates me. Anyway, you owe me dinner." Lauren told him smiling.  
  
"What?" He asked, not knowing what she was talking about.  
  
"You said that when I got back from my trip, you would take me to dinner and I could tell you all about it." She explained with only a small hint of amusement.  
  
"Oh, that's right. Uh, well, Dylan says, or rather rumor has it, that we will be docking at Florn drift day after tomorrow. How about then?" He suggested.  
  
"Sounds good to me. You wanna meet me be the airlock at around 8 then?"  
  
"Sure. Did you have fun?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah." She replied, "I missed you though." She added sarcastically, or so he thought.  
  
"You should have seen what we did to one of our counselors." Maggie told him.  
  
"What did you do?" Harper asked curiously.  
  
"Well, he was a wayist nightsighter, and we, uh, dyed him pink." Chelsey told him with a small smile. As Harper's mind processed the information, he began to laugh at the thought of a fuzzy pink nightsighter.  
  
"Get back to work." Tyr ordered them.  
  
"Fine." They all said in unison.  
  
"Harper?" Rommie asked walking into the room.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked turning to her.  
  
"My internal sensors seem to be malfunctioning. Would you mind repairing them?" She asked while talking her station.  
  
"Sure. I'll go right now." He said and then left.  
  
"I hate her already!" Lauren said loudly after the doors closed behind Harper.  
  
"Who?" Chelsey asked. She had a good idea who, but she wanted to be sure.  
  
"Chelsey, you know who." Lauren said glaring at the Jaguar.  
  
"But I don't. So, who is it?" Maggie asked.  
  
"Isa." Rommie replied for Lauren and Chelsey, who seemed to be having a glaring contest.  
  
"Who?" Maggie asked, still confused.  
  
"Harper's girlfriend." Rommie told her.  
  
"Oh." Maggie said knowingly.  
  
"Mutt, why would you hate her?" Tyr asked, breaking up Lauren and Chelsey's contest.  
  
"What did you call me?" Lauren hissed.  
  
"A mutt. You are disgrace to the name Kodiak." Tyr told her angrily.  
  
"You're the only other Kodiak I know of." Lauren told him, trying to keep her emotions in check.  
  
"Exactly. You despise me." He said anger evident in his voice.  
  
"The feeling's mutual, now take it back." Lauren said through gritted teeth.  
  
"No." Tyr shot.  
  
"Take it back Tyr!" Lauren spat.  
  
"Make me." Try was trying to push Lauren to the breaking point.....and he did. Lauren lunged at him, but he sidestepped her. He stood behind her and had her arms painfully pinned across her chest so she couldn't escape. Despite her valiant attempts.  
  
"Now, answer my question." He demanded.  
  
"No!" She yelled back, again trying to break out of his grasp. Tyr pulled back on her arms causing her to scream in pain. "Okay, okay."  
  
"Well?" He asked after a few moments of silence. Lauren mumbled something that even Tyr's enhanced hearing couldn't pick up. "Speak up!"  
  
"I have feelings for him, okay!!!!!" Lauren exclaimed, again trying to wiggle free. 


	4. Chapter 4

"You have feelings for who?"  
  
Lauren's eyes widened at the sound of the voice of the last person she wanted to hear that statement. She began trying harder than ever to break away from Tyr's grasp, while the older man just laughed at her.  
  
Harper watched as Lauren fought viciously against Tyr, who in turn just laughed at her.  
  
"Boy do you really want to know who she's talking about?" Tyr asked Harper, still holding Lauren tightly.  
  
"Yeah." Harper replied curiously.  
  
"It was....."  
  
"Tyr, you overgrown swizzle stick! Let! Me! Go!" Lauren yelled as loudly as she could to avert Tyr's attention from telling Harper about her feelings for him. This is about the time Rev walked into the room.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked Harper as he stood next to him.  
  
"We're trying to find out who Lauren has a crush on." Harper explained.  
  
"Boy...."  
  
"Don't you dare! You undersized Wooly Mammoth!" Lauren yelled. All she got in return was Tyr's giant hand over her mouth.  
  
"Now, as I was saying. The man Lauren was talking about was you." Tyr felt Lauren practically go limp in his arms and finally just let her go.  
  
"What?" Harper asked astonished. Lauren walked over and stood near Chelsey who, in turn, looked sympathetically at her.  
  
"You heard him." Lauren answered, so quietly that Harper had to strain his ears to hear.  
  
"Lauren, can I talk to you outside?" He asked her innocently.  
  
"I guess." She answered somberly, and then followed him out the door.  
  
"Do you really have feeling for me?" Harper asked once the doors closed.  
  
"You heard Tyr." She said plainly, never lifting her gaze from the floor.  
  
"I know I heard Tyr, but I want to hear it from you."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"And you call yourself a genius."  
  
"Lauren, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because you hate Neitzcheans! And you know what, I was going to tell you. I was going to tell you when you took me to dinner, but now I find out that you're practically head over heals in love with some...someone else, and....and for the first time in my life, I dint' know what to do." She said honestly, lifting her gaze to meet his.  
  
"Wow, uh, that's.....a lot to take in." He told her softly.  
  
"I know, and I just want you to think about it, okay?"  
  
"Okay." He replied quietly. Lauren gave him a weak smile and re-entered command. Harper didn't notice Rev walking towards him; he was to fixated on Lauren. He watched her walk back into command, walk right up to Tyr, kick him right between the legs, and call him "A sorry excuse for a brick wall," as he fell to his knees.  
  
"Harper!"  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by Rev calling his name.  
  
"Yeah, Rev, what do yah need?"  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
"Uh, maybe later. Right now I just need some time to think."  
  
"Alright, I will finish your shift."  
  
"Thanks Rev." 


	5. Chapter 5

Harper walked onto the Obs deck and sat down on one of the benches. Running his hands over his face, he replayed the events of the last few minutes. 'What am I going to do? I go from no women to two women in a mater of just a few minutes. All right Seamus, think about this logically. Uh, I think I need to talk to somebody.'  
  
"Rommie?" He called into the silence of the room.  
  
"Yes Harper?" She asked, her voice filling the silent room.  
  
"Is Dylan awake?"  
  
"Yes, he's just heading to bed."  
  
"Just?"  
  
"He was with Holly."  
  
"Oh. Is he with her now?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Tell his to put a hold on the sleep thing for a bit, I need to talk to him."  
  
"I'll tell him you're on your way."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Then he left the room and headed for Dylan's quarters.  
  
"Shi....."  
  
"Over inflated rubber duck."  
  
Lauren and Tyr had been at it since Harper left. Tyr would try to say something and Lauren would cut him off by calling him some weird name.  
  
"Chi...."  
  
"Tyr, I can't help it if those of inferior."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Where did I kick you?"  
  
"Grrrrr!!"  
  
Everyone in command (except Tyr and Lauren) began to laugh, even Rommie.  
  
"Rommie, how long until I can go?" Lauren asked, completely ignoring Tyr (for the moment).  
  
"Still two hours Lauren."  
  
"Damn. Well, if you need me I'll be in the hall, plotting."  
  
"Plotting what?" Rev asked curiously.  
  
"It's a surprise." Rommie said.  
  
"How do you know?" Tyr asked thoughtfully.  
  
"Call it warships intuition." Rommie replied. Lauren flashed Rommie a smile before walking up the ramp to the door, but before leaving, she turned around, leaned on the rail in front of her, and looked menacingly at Tyr.  
  
"I'll get you my pretty, and your little guns too." She (Lauren) said in her best 'wicked witch of the west' voice. Then she turned around and left.  
  
"Oh, you are in for it now Tyr." Maggie told him.  
  
"In for what?" He asked un-amused.  
  
"Well, you see, Lauren may not be one hundred percent Neitzchean, and there may be no way in hell that she could beat you in hand to hand combat, but she is the most brilliant person you'll ever meet." Chelsey informed him.  
  
"What does that mean?" Rev asked curiously.  
  
"She is going to make Tyr's life a living hell." Maggie supplied.  
  
Harper sat on Dylan's black sued couch with a cup of coffee. Dylan sat in a leather chair next to him with his own cup of coffee.  
  
"So Harper, what did you want to talk to me about?" Dylan asked breaking the silence.  
  
"Well, you know Isa and I are close right." (Harper)  
  
"Close? I barely ever see you two apart." (Dylan)  
  
"Yeah, well, you know how close Lauren and I are too, right?" (Harper)  
  
"Yeah. Harper what are you getting at?" (Dylan)  
  
"Well, when I was in command I heard Lauren say that she loved me." (Harper)  
  
"Oh, wow." (Dylan)  
  
"You're telling me." (Harper)  
  
"Do you have feelings for her?" (Dylan)  
  
"Lauren?" (Harper)  
  
"Yes." (Dylan)  
  
"Well, honestly, yeah. I think I do." (Harper)  
  
"What are you going to do?" (Dylan)  
  
"I was hoping that you might be able to help me with that." (Harper)  
  
"Harper...." (Dylan)  
  
"Just listen will yah." (Harper)  
  
"Alright." (Dylan)  
  
"Okay." (Harper)  
  
"So, how about we do a pro's and con's list for the two of them." (Dylan)  
  
"Okay, let's start with con's first, cause there more fun." (Harper)  
  
"Alright, which one? Lauren or Isa?" (Dylan)  
  
"Isa." (Harper)  
  
"Alright, Rommie will you please make a list of what Harper says for our list." (Dylan)  
  
"Yes sir." The A.I. replied.  
  
"Whenever you're ready Harper." (Dylan)  
  
"Well, I don't really know where to begin. I haven't known her that long."  
  
"That's a con." (Dylan)  
  
"Uh, she seems a little, oh I don't know, uh, like she's not really able to hold her own."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"I can't think of anything else."  
  
"Alright, we'll go with Lauren."  
  
"Well, she's half Neitzchean, Tyr hates her, and hell I think almost everybody hates her."  
  
"Alright. Pro's."  
  
"Isa is sweet, funny, smart, kind, creative, gorgeous, and she loves me."  
  
"And Lauren?"  
  
"Lauren's brilliant, resourceful, tough, caring, compassionate; even to people who hate her. Um, she's extremely beautiful, she holds her own, won't let anybody push her around, she's a great person, and she loves me too."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I think I'm gonna have to think about this some more."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Night Dylan."  
  
"Good night Mr. Harper."  
  
Harper gave Dylan a weak smile before leaving the room, headed for his own. 


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll kill him! I'll squash his mental nuts! I'll tear him apart! I'll, I'll Ahhh!!!!!" Lauren yelled as she angrily paced the corridor.  
  
"Lauren calm down." Chelsey told her, from where she was leaning up against the WALL.  
  
"Calm Down? Calm Down!?! I will not calm down! How would you feel if the one man you loved more than anything found out that you did!?!"  
  
"I'd feel pretty good actually."  
  
"Now play out that same scenario, but this time, he doesn't love you back!"  
  
"I never said that!"  
  
A new voice entered the conversation. Two pairs of eyes turned and looked at Harper. "Chelsey, could you give us a few minutes?"  
  
"Sure. You gonna be okay?" Chelsey said, gently placing a hand on Lauren's shoulder. Lauren just glared at her. "Okay, thought I'd check." She then went back into command. Harper waked over, sat against a wall near Lauren, and then motioned her to join him. Sighing she sank down on the floor next to him and suddenly found the deck plates very interesting.  
  
"Look," He started, "I don't know why I came back here. I mean I had just got done talking to Dylan and was....."  
  
"Whoa! Hold the phone!"  
  
"What's a phone?"  
  
"Uh, never mind. Dylan knows?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
Lauren moaned, pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and then buried her face in them.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." Her voice was muffled from having her head buried in her arms.  
  
"Lauren?"  
  
"Lauren picked up her head and sighed, "I'm gonna lose my job."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You never read the book protocols for Commonwealth starships, did you?"  
  
"No.....There's a whole book?"  
  
"Yeah. Three thousand pages about how to conduct yourself on a starship under the control of the Commonwealth."  
  
"You read it?"  
  
"Yep. Cover to cover. When you're a fifteen-year-old high guard academy student with no friends or family and only one class your allowed to take, you have a lot of time on your hands."  
  
"Uh, Lauren, I....."  
  
"Lemme guess. You didn't know and you're sorry. Save it Seamus. I don't want your sympathy. I'm fine."  
  
"No you're not."  
  
"Hey, aside from being depressed and a little suicide prone, I'm fine."  
  
"Whoa, suicide prone?"  
  
"Just a little."  
  
"Laur....."  
  
"Anyway, back to me losing my job. There are strict rules AGAINST intimate relations ships between crewmembers."  
  
"What about Dylan and holly or Tyr and Sammie?"  
  
"Well, we'll start with the Tyr thing. Sammie's not a crewmember, so it's okay. As for Dylan and Holly. It's the captain's job to report these relationships. Gee, what a coincidence."  
  
"Lauren, Dylan wouldn't tell on us."  
  
"Yes, he would."  
  
"No, he wouldn't."  
  
"Yes, he..."  
  
Harper cut her off by quickly placing his warm, soft lips against hers. (A/N. To Isa: Yeah, he a skank, a cheating, scheming, skank. But he's being a cheating, scheming, skank for me!!) For a few moments, Lauren was shocked, and then confused, but finally her human half won out and she kissed him back.  
  
Just as if she's been shot, Lauren pulled away from Harper, wide eyed and panting.  
  
"Harper, we can't do this. It's wrong. We can't, we can't, we can't, we can't, we can't, we can't, we can't." *Said in one breath*  
  
"Why is it so wrong?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"Would you like to elaborate on that a little more or is the word 'because' what's keeping us apart?"  
  
"Because you have a girlfriend who loves you very much and who you love back, and how the hell did I get in your lap!?!"  
  
"Uh..We got caught up in the heat of the moment."  
  
"Heat! What heat? It was one kiss, which you started might I remind you."  
  
"No heat? This coming from the girl straddling my hips."  
  
Suddenly realizing what she was doing she stood quickly, blushing, shuffling her feet, and looking anywhere but at Harper.  
  
"Choose her." Lauren said her voice cracking as she blinked back tears.  
  
"What?" Harper asked. He got up and stood behind Lauren without knowing exactly what to do.  
  
"Choose Isa." She said crossing her arms.  
  
"Why are you saying that?" He asked, gently running the back of his fingers down her arm while his other one snaked around her; pulling her close to him.  
  
"Isa is so much better for you. She makes you happy."  
  
"You make me happy." He replied turning her around and softly wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.  
  
"So, are you saying that you pick me?" She asked, her eyes pleading for it to be true.  
  
"I don't know what's I'm saying yet. I do love you. I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet." He told her honestly. He put his arms around her and leaned in for another kiss.  
  
"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Kristen's voice came from a few feet away from the couple. Harper and Lauren broke apart, but while Harper didn't look at Kristen at all, Lauren was shooting daggers her way (sadly only figuratively speaking). Lauren began to charge Kristen and Kristen took off at top speed down the hall. Lauren watched her retreating back for a moment then pressed her com-link.  
  
"Hey, Krista, you busy?" She asked.  
  
"Not really, why?" Krista replied.  
  
"You wanna play smear the queer?" Lauren asked in a sinister way.  
  
"Sure." Krista replied.  
  
"Well, your target should be running by your door in about *looks at watch* five seconds." (Lauren)  
  
"Okay, hang on a sec." (Krista)  
  
A sickening thud is heard over the com.  
  
"Consider the queer smeared." Krista said.  
  
"Spiffy. I'll be right there." Lauren said as she and Harper started down the hall.  
  
Trance walked down the corridor and saw Krista doing bad disco over the unconscious body of Kristen Julson while singing "Oh yeah I rock. Oh yeah I'm king. Metaphorically speaking."  
  
"We interrupt this broadcast to inform you of a startling new discovery. I AM GOD!!" Leslie said ship wide over the com-link.  
  
"I think Rev Bem would disagree with you on that matter. Now get off the com." Rommie said and then cut the com-link.  
  
"Krista, what happened?" Trance asked after the little escapade.  
  
"Lauren made me!" Krista said as Lauren and Harper came around the corner. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Lauren did you tell Krista to attack Kristen?" Trance asked skeptically.  
  
"Well, I don't know her name, but if by attacked you me playing a little old game of smear the queer, then yeah." Lauren replied sarcastically yet confidently.  
  
"Why?" Trance asked completely confused.  
  
"We have our reasons." Harper said jumping in before Lauren could even come up with a smart-ass remark. He quickly let go of Lauren's hand, which he just realized he'd been holding the entire time. Much to the dismay of the quote unquote couple, Trance noticed.  
  
"What's going on between you two?" She asked accusingly.  
  
"Nothing. Can't two friends hold hands once in a while?" Harper replied innocently.  
  
"So there's nothing going on?" Trance asked.  
  
"No." Lauren stated plainly. "What's with the third degree? I mean all your missing is a big bright yellow light."  
  
"Yeah. Stop interrogating the witness. Lauren, come, we have some hell raising to do." Chelsey said coming up behind Lauren and Harper.  
  
"Yes mum." Lauren replied in a cockney accent. Chelsey rolled her eyes, grabbed Lauren by the arm, and proceeded to 'drag' her down the hallway. Harper watched them go with a far away look in his eyes. When Lauren and Chelsey were out of sight, he looked back at Trance who looked at him questioning.  
  
"What?" He asked, his voice jumping an octave.  
  
"Are you sure?" Trance asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I'm lost." Krista asked confused.  
  
"It's okay Krista. Will you help Trance with Kristen please?" Harper asked sweetly.  
  
"Alright." Krista replied, promptly throwing Kristen over her shoulder and heading towards Med Deck.  
  
"And where are you going?" Trance asked accusingly.  
  
"I have a shift on command to finish." He replied 'bitchily'.  
  
"We still have to do something horrible to Tyr. I mean; I did do the whole wicked witch of the west thing." Lauren complained to Chelsey outside command, and Chelsey started to giggle slightly. "What?"  
  
"Nothing." Chelsey tried to stop laughing.  
  
"Come on, spill." Lauren shot.  
  
"No! Just something stupid I came up with." Chelsey shrugged.  
  
"If it has anything to do with this you'd better tell me. Just like Mathew's underwear, I need to know!!!" Lauren Pleaded slightly.  
  
"But Lauren, you still don't' know......about either."  
  
"Shut up!" Lauren said after a moment of thought.  
  
"Anyway, if I don't come back out here in say......two minutes, you'd best come save my ass, okay?"  
  
Lauren, slightly baffled, just nodded and watched the short brunette stride into command. As soon as she entered, she strode up to Tyr, who was leaning against his station.  
  
"Hey there sexy." Chelsey told him seductively, rubbing his forearm slowly.  
  
"Girl, what are you......" Tyr stated before being cut off as Chelsey stole a kiss.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Sammie snapped as she appeared in the doorway, causing the two to break up the kiss instantly, "Get away from my man you little whore!"  
  
"Your man? But I love him!" Chelsey said forcefully, matching Sammie's death glare with her own, making it look as if the crew was going to have one hell of a catfight on their hands, and they did. Sammie lunged at Chelsey and they ended up running around the command deck in circles.  
  
"So, what sort of hell raising are you and Chelsey doing?" Harper asked walking up to Lauren, who was leaning against the wall outside of command.  
  
"Oh, we were just plotting on how to make Tyr's life a living hell." Lauren told him with a sly smile.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because of what he told you."  
  
"But Lauren, what if we end up getting together because of this?"  
  
"Well, then we're doing it for fun." She replied, blushing slightly as he moved closer to her.  
  
"Whatever burns your fuel." He breathed softly in her ear and kissed her neck lightly.  
  
"Mmmm. You know, we probably shouldn't be doing this in the middle of the hall." She said leaning into him anyway.  
  
"Your right. Lets go to my quarters." He told her while gently pushing her up against the wall. "Oh crap!! Isa's in my quarters." Lauren visibly flinched at the use of Isa's name.  
  
"Yah know, I would prefer it if when you're holding me and are making seductive overtures at me, that you don't use her name."  
  
"Sorry......How about your quarters?"  
  
"I'm really not in the mood. Besides I have to check on Chelsey." Lauren said, gently breaking out of his grasp and moving toward the door.  
  
"Why do you have to check one moony?"  
  
"Because she was gonna do something to Tyr, then Sammie went in there, and I was supposed to be checking on her over three minutes ago. So she's probably in a state where you could suck her up with a straw right now." She explained quickly as she walked through the command deck doors. The sight that greeted her was hilarious. Sammie and Chelsey still ran in circles around the room, as Tyr looked on amused. Maggie stood by the door counting every time Sam and Chelsey ran by her. As Lauren listened, she could hear her.  
  
"28...29...30...Oh hi Lauren."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Oh, you should've seen it. Moony and Sammie have been around the room...Oh man, you made me loose count...1..." Maggie explained. As she began counting, again Lauren quit listening. Instead, she looked at Tyr, who was now holding an enraged Sammie back from Chelsey. She watched as a look of thoughtfulness spread across his face as he looked back and forth between the two girls. Then out of his mouth came the funniest this she'd ever heard.  
  
"I'll mate with whoever wins." He said letting go of Sam. Both her and Chelsey looked at him wide eyed. Chelsey turned ghost white and yelled, "You win!" at Sammie before leaving command at a dear run, grabbing Lauren along the way.  
  
"What did you just say?" Sammie asked Tyr after she'd watched Sammie flee command.  
  
"Nothing of importance." He replied, turning back to his station.  
  
"Uh huh." Sammie glared at him. Harper just laughed and went back to work at his own station.  
  
Chelsey ran all the way to her quarters dragging a very confused Lauren behind her. When they entered her quarters, she immediately let go of Lauren and dashed into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes, and a whole bottle of 'Scope' later, she emerged from her bathroom smile evilly, "Let the games begin." She said sitting at the table Lauren had her feet up on.  
  
"What did you do?" Lauren asked her.  
  
"What DID I just do? His tongue was almost in my mouth! I think I'm gonna be sick!" She said dashing back into the bathroom. Another five minutes, and a whole tube of toothpaste, later Chelsey again emerged from the depths of her bathroom.  
  
"Better?" Lauren asked from where she was laying on Chelsey's bed.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for holding my hair back." She responded sitting net to Lauren.  
  
"No prob. So, what'd you do?"  
  
"I kissed him." She said completely disgusted, "And the worst part is, I think he liked it."  
  
"Oh icky! Well, it's the gift that just keeps on giving."  
  
"Shut up Lauren!" Chelsey said smacking her with a pillow.  
  
"Hey Rommie?" Lauren asked with a sigh.  
  
"Yes?" Holo-Rommie asked.  
  
"Could you please show me your video surveillance footage of what Chelsey did in command?"  
  
"Of course." The hologram replied and was soon replaced by the footage of what Chelsey had done. When the footage finished and disappeared Lauren was on the floor laughing so hard she could barely breathe, let alone stand.  
  
"You wanna go for a walk. You look you could use the air."  
  
"Sure." Lauren said regaining control of herself.  
  
"Lauren? Chelsey asked as she followed her friend out of her quarters.  
  
"Yeah?" Lauren replied, her mind obviously somewhere else.  
  
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you. How did this whole thing with Matt's underwear start? I know I probably shouldn't ask, but it's just the most pathetic thing I've ever heard in my life." Lauren glared at Chelsey's 'pathetic' comment and then thought about it for a second, snickering slightly.  
  
"Well, Matt came with Tyr as a Mercenary. One day I walked in on him as he was changing and he ended up throwing a sheet from his bed around his waist. Ever since I saw him there, holding up that sheet, I've been nagging his about 'Boxers or Briefs?' but he hasn't answered me yet." Lauren turned to Chelsey who had a funny smile on her face.  
  
"What now?" Lauren asked with feigned exasperation.  
  
"Did Tyr ever tell you his preference?"  
  
"Yeah, boxers, actually. He can't stand briefs."  
  
"Why? They don't like to be confined or what?" Chelsey wondered.  
  
"I didn't ask. All I know is that he'd be pissed if someone switched all his underwear for briefs." Lauren shot.  
  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"Way ahead of you. I'm thinking pink fuzzy waistband and the Superman 'S'. What do you think?" Lauren considered the options.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Chelsey shrugged. 


	8. Chapter 8

"All hands report to command." Andromeda's voice boomed throughout the ship.  
  
"What is it Andromeda?" Dylan asked as he ran into command (in his P.J.'s). Lauren, Chelsey, Beka, and Trance soon followed.  
  
"There's an escape pod 3 light seconds out......It's hailing us." Mainframe Rommie reported.  
  
"On screen." Dylan commanded. Soon the image of a young man filled the screen. He was short and fat with short curly blonde hair, but he was completely naked. There were no cloths on his body at all. Everyone turned around sharply and looked at Lauren, who was bent over on the floor laughing hysterically.  
  
"Hi Lauren." The young man said when he saw her.  
  
"Hi Cade." She squeaked out through her laughter. As her laughter began to subside and was reduced to slight giggling, the doors of Command swished open, and Isa came in.  
  
"Hey Isa." Harper said a little too cheerfully for Lauren's taste.  
  
"Hey sweetie." She said just as cheerfully. He went over, gave her a kiss, and they walked hand in hand back over to the others. Lauren had regained her composure quickly and was now standing.  
  
"So Cade, what's up?" She said, plastering her best fake smile on her face.  
  
"Nothin' much." He replied casually.  
  
"Really?" (Lauren)  
  
"Yeah." (Cade)  
  
"Alright, I'm just gonna say it. Why yah naked?" Lauren asked straight forward.  
  
"Oh, they locked me out." (Cade)  
  
"Naked?" (Lauren)  
  
"They took my cloths." (Cade)  
  
"Oh......Sam, you okay?" Lauren asked noticing for the first time the small girl cowering in the corner of the pod covering her eyes, saying:  
  
"OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! Have you ever heard of cruel and unusual punishment?" At the sound of her name she uncovered he eyes and looked at Lauren, but much to her dismay, and eternal shock, Cade got caught in her peripheral vision. Screaming in fear she covered her eyes again.  
  
"Yeah, so if we could get a ride, and some clothes that'd be great." Cade said with a hopeful grin.  
  
"Dylan?" Lauren asked avoiding looking at the view screen.  
  
"Bring them in." He said, pitying Sam.  
  
"Thanks." Cade said gratefully.  
  
"Thanks Dylan," Lauren said as she headed toward the door, "I'll meet you guys in the hanger." She told Cade before dashing out the door. The view screen went blank as Rommie cut the transmission.  
  
"Is he her boyfriend?" Isa asked turning to Harper.  
  
"Oh, God no." Harper said with a slight laugh at the thought. Suddenly the doors opened and Lauren walked back in.  
  
"Hey Harper, buddy ol' pal, friend 'a mine, do you have any cloths that might fit Cade, 'cause I am so no looking forward to seeing him naked again." She said pleadingly.  
  
"Yeah, I think I have some." He replied. He gave Isa a quick kiss on the cheek and then walked up the ramp to Lauren.  
  
Harper and Lauren walked toward Harper's quarters in silence until Harper finally snapped, "So, who is this Cade guy to you anyway?"  
  
"Jealous?" She asked with a smile.  
  
"No." He said before she looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, "Maybe."  
  
"That's cute, but no, he's not my boyfriend. He's a friend of Melissa and Jessica's. I met him on our trip."  
  
"Oh." They entered his quarters and Lauren flopped down, lying on her back, on his couch. Before she knew it, Harper was on top of her and kissing her passionately. She kissed him back until she noticed where his hands were roaming. She managed a 'stop' between kisses, but when he didn't she roughly pushed him away.  
  
"What?" He asked shocked.  
  
"When I say stop, I don't mean keep going, I mean stop."  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." He said sitting up on his knees.  
  
"It's okay. I'll just say it louder next time. Give me a kiss." She said, unconsciously playing with the hem of his shirt. He smiled slightly before planting a soft kiss on her warm lips.  
  
"I'll go get those cloths for you." He said getting off her.  
  
"Thank you." She replied getting up and going into his bedroom after him. As he rummaged through his, closet she looked a look around. She noticed, in the corner, a shirt that was definitely not his. He walked out of his closet with some clothes and threw them on his bed.  
  
"Here, I think these will fit......Lauren." He said when she noticed the angry look on her face.  
  
"So how was she?" She asked angrily.  
  
"What?" He asked confused.  
  
"Isa. How was she?" She practically spat the name.  
  
"How'd yah find out?" He asked, shifting his gaze to the floor.  
  
"How'd I find out? Well, lets see, there was you being late for your shift, you coming in with that stupid look on your face that you only get when lucky. Oh, there was the whole we couldn't go to your quarters earlier because she was here, she is wearing one of your shirts, oh, and how 'bout this!" She said, angrily throwing Isa's shirt in his face.  
  
"Hey, where you find it?" He asked holding up the shirt, "Look, that was before I knew how you felt. If you'd have told me, then it probably wouldn't have happened!"  
  
"Probably?"  
  
"Yeah, probably. I mean, why not? You're not puttin' out!"  
  
"Is that what you want!?! You want me to strip down to nothing, lay on the bed, and let you have your way with my!?! Sorry, I'm not the kind of girl to just lay down and take it, just to please somebody, but apparently that's what your into! I hope you two are very happy together!" She yelled and then stormed out of his quarters without a second thought. Harper sat down on the edge of his bed, ran his hands over his face and through his hair.  
  
"I am such a SHIT!" He yelled at himself.  
  
"Yes you are." Andromeda said, shimmering into view in front or him.  
  
"Thanks Rom-Doll." He replied sarcastically.  
  
"Melissa is on her way to get the cloths for our visitor."  
  
"Okay. Is Lauren still going down there?"  
  
"No. She is currently throwing things around her quarters; while cursing your name of course."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Why would she be cursing your name?" Isa asked from the doorway.  
  
"He said some things." Rommie told her with a smirk.  
  
"Oh," Isa replied sitting next to him on the bed, "What kinds of things?"  
  
"Just things I regret." He replied.  
  
"You two are close." She observed.  
  
"Very." He said laying back on the bed with a sigh.  
  
"You should go talk to her." Isa told him, as she lay next to him.  
  
"I know."  
  
"So, how long have you been seeing her?"  
  
"Huh?" He asked suddenly nervous.  
  
"You and Lauren."  
  
"How'd you find out?"  
  
"Sarah saw you kissing in the hall outside command this morning, and Kristen said she saw you too, so did Sammie but she was half awake so I didn't believe her."  
  
"Why aren't you mad?"  
  
"I was, but I just think you need to choose."  
  
"I know I do. I just really don't want to hurt you, or her for that matter."  
  
"What if we promised not to get upset?"  
  
"Even then, I wouldn't know how to tell you."  
  
"At this exact moment, whom are you leaning towards?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"What if it was a life or death situation and you had to choose right now."  
  
"Whose life?"  
  
"Neither mine nor hers."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You're impossible."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Okay,"  
  
"Don't you ever give up?"  
  
"No. Now, close your eyes and clear your mind."  
  
"Fine." He did as he was told.  
  
"Okay, who is the first one of us that comes to your mind when you think of who you want to spend the rest of your life with?"  
  
He was about to respond when Andromeda's voice echoed through the ship.  
  
"Medical emergency, crew quarters 53. Medical emergency, crew quarters 53."  
  
"Rommie, please tell me that's not who I think it is." Harper pleaded as he shot up onto his feet.  
  
"A support strut in her room gave way." The A. I. replied. Harper bolted out the door, Isa right behind him.  
  
"Seamus, what does that mean?" She asked as they slowed before reaching Lauren's door.  
  
"It means she's trapped under part of her ceiling." He replied running into her room. Isa gasped when she walked in and saw electrical cords swinging and sparking from a large hole in the ceiling, below that was an enormous pile of metal that was twisted, bent, and sharp, and from that pile ran an almost steady stream of blood. Harper began, frantically, removing large pieces of metal and throwing them out of the way. His search became even more frantic when he uncovered one of her bloodied and broken hands. He soon had her head and part of her chest uncovered. He was on his knees by the top of her head and was gently tapping her cheeks. Sammie (/A.N./ I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!) bolted into the room. Seeing the chaos, she ran down the hall to the weight room where Tyr was working out.  
  
"Tyr?" Sammie said, interrupting his lifting.  
  
"Yes?" He said, putting down his weights.  
  
"Go lift heavy rocks." She commanded, pointing to the door. He got up, walked over to her, and wrapped his strong arms around her.  
  
"There are no rocks." He said, resting his forehead against hers.  
  
"Well, go lift the heavy things, yah know, be manly." She pouted at him.  
  
"Alright, where?" He said. She grabbed his hand and proceeded to pull him to Lauren's quarters. When they got there the medical team had already arrived, but were struggling with the heavy beams. Harper was still on his knees trying to revive Lauren. Tyr walked over to the twisted pile of metal and began moving the large beams and Isa joined Harper, in keeping watch over Lauren. Lauren's breathing rate increased drastically as Tyr removed a large piece of metal from her stomach/chest.  
  
"Is she supposed to do that?" Isa asked, referring to the speed of Lauren's breathing.  
  
"I have no idea." He replied worriedly.  
  
"How is she?" Sammie asked kneeling down next to Isa. Not so good." Isa replied.  
  
Tyr finished clearing all of the metal from Lauren and Harper placed a soft kiss on her forehead before allowing the medics to up her on a stretcher and rush her to medical.  
  
"Boy, I need to speak with you." Tyr said as Harper began to leave.  
  
"Now?" He asked, his voice revealing how much he wanted to he with Lauren right now.  
  
"At this moment there's nothing you can do but wait." Tyr stated the obvious.  
  
"Fine, but this better be quick." Harper replied, angered by Tyr's use of logic.  
  
"We'll give you two some privacy." Sammie said. She kissed Tyr before walking to the door.  
  
"Tyr's right, there's nothing you can do right now." Isa whispered to Harper. He nodded solemnly and she placed a quick kiss on his lips before leaving with Sammie.  
  
"So?" Harper asked, once they were alone.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Tyr asked, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About the two women you obviously have feelings for."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Most likely the best scenario, considering you're going to lose one of them today."  
  
"She's not going to die Tyr!"  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So you've chosen her over your other potential mate."  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"Then what does she have to live for?" Tyr asked before leaving Harper to his thoughts. 


	9. Chapter 9

"You knew, didn't you?" Sammie asked as she and Isa walked slowly down the hall.  
  
"Knew what?" Isa asked, having no idea what Sam was talking about.  
  
"What happened to Lauren." She replied simply.  
  
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Isa said stopping in her tracks.  
  
"Kay?"  
  
"I didn't see it."  
  
"Well, that's probably understandable. I mean it didn't happen to you."  
  
"But that's the thing. When my ship got attacked......"  
  
"You were attacked?"  
  
"Yeah, but anyway, when I was attacked, I dint' see it either. I think I've lost my touch."  
  
"Oh, well. Better off without it, I say." Sammiejo said as they began walking again.  
  
"Do you think Lauren will be okay?" Isa asked concerned.  
  
"I don't know." Sam responded, unfeelingly.  
  
"I hope so." Isa said.  
  
"You want her to live?" Sam asked, unbelievingly.  
  
"I wouldn't with death on even my worst enemy. Okay, maybe my worst enemy, but Kristen really does deserve it." Isa explained.  
  
On Med-Deck:  
  
Trance had called for Chelsey's aid in medical when she heard of the situation. They were not completely prepared for the circumstances, well, not completely prepared. Trance's eyes widened and Chelsey gasped when they caught sight of the condition Lauren was actually in. The medics placed Lauren on the medical bed that had been prepared for her.  
  
"We'll handle it from here. You can go." Trance commanded. The medics left and immediately Trance and Chelsey got to work Trying to save Lauren's life.  
  
Back in Lauren's Quarters:  
  
"Harper?" Melissa said walking into the room.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked from where he sat on Lauren's bed.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Thinking."  
  
"About what?" She asked sitting next to him.  
  
"How my life has gone to hell in a hand basket in just a few minutes."  
  
"Is this about Lauren?"  
  
"Yeah. I've lost so many people that I care about and......I can't loose her to."  
  
"You won't loose her."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because I've know Lauren almost all her life and believe me, she won't die. She loves us all too much to leave us. Besides, I think Chelsey would physically beat life back into her if she died." Melissa explained with a small laugh.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Harper replied with a smile. "Melly, did you need something?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm supposed to get some cloths for you that might fit Cade, cause, uh, yeah, icky!" Melissa explained.  
  
"Yeah they're in my quarters on my bed. You want me to get them for you?"  
  
"If you would be so kind."  
  
"Yeah, come on." He said, pulling her up with him.  
  
The Next Day:  
  
"So, how are you feeling?" Chelsey asked Lauren when she finally woke up the next day.  
  
"Like a train wreck." Lauren snorted, sitting up with a wince and looking around medical.  
  
"Oh, right. Harper told me to get him when you woke up. Do you want me to?" Chelsey walked over to the COM, expecting a yes.  
  
"No." Lauren said flatly, lying back down in distress.  
  
"Why not? He was really worried about you, and......"  
  
"Like hell he was! If it was Isa in here, instead of me, he'd have been waiting by her bedside, holding her fuckin' hand! No, this time it's just me! In fact, he's probably off with her right now!" Lauren screamed, throwing her pillow as hard as she could across the room.  
  
"Actually, after he, Sammie, Isa, and Tyr made sure you got out from under that pile of rubble that used to be your ceiling, he went off alone. According to Rommie, he's currently yelling hysterically in his quarters, not letting anyone in. Isa tried to take his hand and comfort him, but he pushed her away saying she'd done enough. So, now she's as pissed off as you are." Chelsey said hotly, picking up the pillow and putting it back on the bed.  
  
"Really?" Lauren said quietly, fingering the corner of her sheet.  
  
"Yes, and the only reason he's not down here right now is because he needed just a little time to sort things out, and I still don't think he's done that. He loves you, but he loves Isa, too. It's probably the hardest decision the man's ever made in his life." Chelsey sighed, sitting on the end of the bed.  
  
"It shouldn't be a hard decision for him though!" He should choose me! I'm the one for him!" Lauren yelled, hurt and angry  
  
"Maybe not in Harper's eyes." Chelsey whispered, staring at the floor.  
  
"You're siding with that bitch, aren't you? You think she's better than me?" Lauren snapped, kicking upwards so Chelsey went crashing to the floor.  
  
"I never said......" Chelsey stammered, trying to stand.  
  
"Get out!" Lauren cried, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Lauren, I......" Chelsey tried desperately.  
  
"Get OUT!!" Lauren threw the pillow at her, causing her to hastily exit.  
  
"Are you alright?" Isa asked, stopping Chelsey just down the hall from Medical.  
  
"Me? Yeah, I think so. If you're thinking about talking to Lauren, thought, this might not be a great time."  
  
"Yeah, well, I don't think this can wait." Isa said, though she looked a little worried.  
  
"I wish you better luck than I had." Chelsey said blandly, continuing down the hall.  
  
"I don't' think I'll need it." Isa said, maybe trying to reassure herself, as she entered medical. "Hi." She said looking at the rooms only occupant, who was laying on her back with her hands over her eyes.  
  
"Hi." Lauren answered without looking up to see whom it was, even though she didn't recognize the voice.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Isa asked walking closer to the bed.  
  
"Like someone let Tyr have ten minutes alone with me." She said uncovering her eyes and looking coldly at Isa.  
  
"We need to talk." Isa stated plainly.  
  
"I figured. Why else would you be in here?" Lauren said sitting up and putting her legs over the edge of the bed, so that she was facing Isa.  
  
"Even if we didn't need to talk, I probably would have been in here to see you anyway." Isa said with a small smile.  
  
"Uh huh, sure, whatever." Lauren said with a mock smile, patting the spot next to her. When Isa hesitated, she said, "Don't worry I don't bite, and I promise not slug yah."  
  
"Alright." Isa said hopping up next to her.  
  
"Lemme guess. We have to talk about Harper." Lauren said looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"Yeah." Isa said looking at the floor.  
  
"Well?" Lauren said, urging Isa to begin.  
  
"Why do I have to start?"  
  
"Because you're the one that decided that we need to talk about him." Lauren explained making it seem as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.  
  
"Alright. Um, well, first of all, why do you hate me so much?" Isa asked looking over at Lauren.  
  
"Because Harper loves you more than he loves me, that's why." Lauren said shifting her gaze to the sheet on her bed.  
  
"He does not love me more than you."  
  
"Oh, yes he does."  
  
"No he doesn't."  
  
"Yes he does."  
  
"No I don't." Harper said from where he was leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"How long yah been standing there?" Lauren asked raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Long enough." He said walking into the room. "Scoot." He said standing by the bed. The girls did as they were told and he sat between them, hands in his lap.  
  
"How long is long enough?" Isa asked.  
  
"Long enough to hear Lauren say that she thinks that I love you more than her."  
  
"So, have you come to a decision yet?" Lauren asked.  
  
"As a matter-of-fact, yes I have. But I want you both to know that no matter what I've decided, that I love you both and that this is the hardest decision that I have ever had to make in my life. I mean, this tops having to choose whether or not to shoot my cousins while they were infested with magog larvae."  
  
"Seamus, we know that." Isa said taking his hand in hers.  
  
"And we love you too." Lauren said hooking her arm in his and resting her throbbing head on his shoulder. "Where is Chelsey when I need her." She said putting her free hand on her forehead.  
  
"Are you okay?" Harper asked, his voice laced with concern.  
  
"Just a headache, I'm fine. You were saying." Lauren responded, holding his arm tighter in anticipation that he would choose Isa.  
  
"Isa." Harper said solemnly. Lauren's eyes welled up with tears and she let go of Harper's arm. "I'm sorry." He finished. Isa smile for a few moments while Lauren stared in shock.  
  
"It's okay." Isa said calmly. "You two are gonna be really happy together, I know it." She said giving him a heartfelt hug.  
  
"I'm so sorry." He said.  
  
"It's okay. Really." Isa said. She got off the bed and stood in front of Lauren. "You better take care of him or I'm gonna come after yah."  
  
"I'll take care of him." Lauren said quietly, her eyes shut.  
  
"Lauren, are you sure you're okay?" Harper asked extremely worried.  
  
"No, actually, I'm not and I know what you're thinking. No, I don't think you made a mistake in your decision. It's just, my head is pounding, I can't open my eyes because the light would be like taking a hammer to my brain, and I know you're not, but your voices really sound like you're yelling at me." Lauren explained quietly as Harper took her in his arms and kissed her head.  
  
"Do you want me to find Trance?" Isa asked in a whisper.  
  
"Yes please." Lauren whispered back. Isa left and Harper began to gently play with Lauren's hair. "Harper?"  
  
"Call me Seamus, sweetheart." He whispered.  
  
"Seamus, could you turn the lights down so I can look at you?"  
  
"Sure. Rommie, lights at 25% please." The lights were immediately dimmed. "There, you can open your eyes now." Lauren slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I forgot to ask you how you were feeling."  
  
"At the moment? Like I really, really, really pissed off a warship." He smiled and kissed her again, rougher this time. She pulled away almost immediately.  
  
"Did I hurt you?" He asked concerned.  
  
"No, but I think I should lay back down. I am in a lot of pain." She said looking up at him with pain filled eyes.  
  
"Oh God, here." He said getting off the bed and gently helping her lay back down.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." He softly kissed her while lovingly holding her hand.  
  
"Ow! Too tight!" She said jerking away from him. He was confused for a moment before he realized that he had held her hand a little to tightly.  
  
"Sorry." He said with a smile. 


	10. Chapter 10

"Who's there?" A voice asked Chelsey, who had disappeared to the vents and was now crying silently. When she heard the voice, she immediately stopped crying and started crab walking away from the intruder, who had apparently entered the vents on the other side of the ship and was now trying to get out.  
  
"Chelsey, one of the medical staff! Who are.oh, it's you. How'd you get so good at that?" Chelsey gasped, calming down when she saw who it was and again laying on her back.  
  
"Sneaking up on people? It goes along with the job." Matt, the 'intruder', shrugged.  
  
"And what exactly do you do again?"  
  
"Kill people for money. Not a bad job if your conscience doesn't talk loud.  
  
"Yeah, you wouldn't want your conscience to get in the way now, would you?" Chelsey spat.  
  
"Do you disapprove of what I do?" Obviously not caring much about her personal opinion.  
  
"It's not so much that as our jobs are on opposite ends of the employment spectrum." Chelsey explained, "Oh, I almost forgot. Lauren told me that if I ever got to talk to you alone, I was supposed to ask you something on her behalf."  
  
"Yes, and what was it?"  
  
"First, are you armed?" Chelsey asked, trying to look him over.  
  
"What? No." Matt said too quickly, arching his eyebrows.  
  
"Rommie, will you confirm that for me?"  
  
"Daggers, a pocketknife, a blaster, a screwdriver, nail clippers." Rommie's voice started listing of Matt's 'weapons'.  
  
"Thank you, Rommie." Chelsey cut her off, shaking her head, "It's not like this is American Airlines or something. I mean, how much damage can you do with a set of nail clippers?"  
  
"Trust me, you'd be surprised," Matt assured her, "and did you honestly think an assassin would go unarmed?"  
  
"Well, no. Do you promise not to use any of that stuff on me?"  
  
"Sure, but I can't promise I won't kill you."  
  
"Comforting. Anyway, she says she really needs, or wants, rather, to know, so.boxers or briefs?"  
  
"Boxers." Matt said uncertainly, getting a confused look on his face.  
  
"You think that's weird? You should hear about her and peoples' noses.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"At camp she would run up to these people she hardly knew and ask them if she could touch their nose. It started with a gentleman who wouldn't let her, so she got even more determined. Just don't be surprised if she if she can touch your nose. Well, I should probably get out of these vents. You didn't see me crying by the way."  
  
"Nope, and you didn't see me in those vents."  
  
"Didn't see you at all." Chelsey let out a small laugh as she dropped from the vent to the floor and started to walk away. In response, Matt grabbed her elbow and spun her around, looking straight (Ahem, down, rather) into her eyes.  
  
"No, I'm serious. You didn't see me in those vents."  
  
"Alright, I didn't." Chelsey replied, a little taken aback.  
  
"Good. I guess I'll see you around then." Matt started down the hall.  
  
"Yeah, see you around." Chelsey muttered, staring at him until he disappeared around a corner.  
  
Medical:  
  
Trance had just left after giving Lauren some more painkillers. Isa was standing on the opposite side of the bed across from Harper, who was gently stroking Lauren's cheek.  
  
"Feel better?" Isa asked quietly.  
  
"Uh, huh." Lauren replied, turning her head and gently kissing Harper's hand.  
  
"Well, I should leave you two crazy kids alone." Isa said heading toward the door.  
  
"You're weird." Harper smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Don't worry about it Isa, it's one of your more attractive qualities." Lauren said.  
  
"Oh, I know." Isa said before leaving.  
  
"So, what was that? You two are like best friends now?" Harper asked confused.  
  
"Not best friends, but we don't hate each other." Lauren responded casually. Harper made a gesture with his hands, conveying that he still didn't understand. "In other words," Lauren smiled, taking his hand, "You made a decision, so I'm not Super Bitch anymore."  
  
"Um, okay. So, are you feeling better?" He prompted, gently kissing each of her fingertips. Well, trying to anyway, it became more difficult when she started caressing his cheek.  
  
"Yeah......you are really having problems, aren't you?"  
  
"Well, if you'd quit moving your hand it'd be easier to kiss your fingers." He said still trying.  
  
"It's has a mind of it's own."  
  
"So?"  
  
"It's playing hard to get."  
  
"Ah, your Neitzchean side showing through."  
  
"Yeah, just a little." She smiled, stopping her hand so he could kiss it, "I love you." She said, quietly watching him.  
  
"I love you, too." He said, abandoning her fingers and gently kissing her face.  
  
"Mmmm......entertaining yourself?"  
  
"Yep." He kissed her lips. "So, when do you get out of here?"  
  
"When I feel up to it." She said.  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, they can't keep me here against my will." She said plainly.  
  
"You wanna get out of here then?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Seamus, I can't walk."  
  
"I'll carry you."  
  
"Where will we go?"  
  
"Uh, we could go to my quarters and watch a movie, we could go sit in hydroponics, or we could go to the Obs Deck."  
  
"Let's go to your quarters. It's less likely that someone will find us there."  
  
"Okay. You ready?" He asked, moving to pick her up.  
  
"Yeah, but......be gently." She smiled and put her arms around his neck.  
  
"Don't worry, I will be." With that, he picked her up and, somehow without being seen, took her to his quarters.  
  
"Welcome to my humble home." Harper said as he brought Lauren inside.  
  
"Nice, but you do realize I've been in here before." Lauren said as he gently laid her down on his couch.  
  
"I know. It just has a different effect when I'm carrying you." He replied, sitting next to her.  
  
"I love you so much." She said, sounding as if she was about to cry.  
  
"Lauren, what's wrong? Are you in pain?" He asked worriedly, as he caressed her face and looked into her tear filled eyes.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong. It's just..." She looked away trying to blink hack the tears that threatened to spill out over her eyelids.  
  
"It's just what?" He asked taking her hand.  
  
"It's just that......I've dreamed about this since the first day I saw you and that's all I thought it would be, a dream. I figured that you'd end up marring some beautiful woman who doesn't age a day past seventeen, have tons of kids, be famous, and live happily ever after." Tears began to fall freely from her eyes as Harper helplessly tried to wipe them away.  
  
"What'd you figure would happen to you?" He asked once she'd calmed down slightly.  
  
"Oh, I planned to commit suicide be like twenty five." She told him freakishly calm.  
  
"Plan's changed." He said resting his forehead against hers.  
  
"I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you." She said, gently placing her arms around his neck to keep him close to her.  
  
"You won't loose me." He said kissing the tip of her nose.  
  
"But what if......" He softly cut her off with a kiss.  
  
"Don't even think it, okay?" He said when he released his hold on her lips.  
  
"Okay." She kissed him again before letting him sit up.  
  
"Better?" He asked, stroking a bit of stomach that wasn't covered. Lauren giggled as Harper hit a ticklish spot, and nodded her head in response to his question. "So, what do you wanna watch?" He stood up and walked over to the shelves he had filled with DVD's.  
  
"You." She said smiling and winking at him.  
  
"Contrary to popular belief, no, I will not dance around the room in my underwear......Unless, I'm really drunk and you paid me."  
  
"I have both booze and money."  
  
"With you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"So we watch a movie."  
  
"Okay. You pick one out."  
  
"Alright. Uh, how 'bout this one?" He picked one out and showed it to her.  
  
"Looks good." She replied smiling. He put the movie in, grabbed the remote, and sat on the couch with Lauren's head in his lap. "So, what are we watching? She asked as he brought up the menue.  
  
"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." He replied, turning off the subtitles.  
  
"Any good?"  
  
"Yep." He pressed play and they watched the movie in a comfortable silence.  
  
"Tyr?"  
  
"For the sixth time Sammie, what do you want?" Tyr asked, not looking up from the book he was reading.  
  
"Will you please spar with me?" She asked, taking his book away.  
  
"Fine, since you won't let me read in peace." He got up and took the book from her.  
  
"Yay!" She squealed and hugged him, before they started for the door. "So, what pride is Chelsey from?" She asked, making small talk.  
  
"Sabra - Jaguar." He replied, "Why do you ask?" He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Just wondering." She replied bitchily.  
  
"What did I do now?" He asked, drawn a blank.  
  
"If you can't remember the atrocity you committed, then I shall not bring myself to your level to recount it!" She said in a whiny English accent.  
  
"Damn it woman, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Time to change the subject. So, how old were you when you lost your virginity?"  
  
"Younger than you."  
  
"Tyr?"  
  
"Younger than you."  
  
"When did you start sounding like a broken record?"  
  
"When I was younger than you."  
  
"Tyr, I will deprive you of both sex and your weaponry." Sammie warned.  
  
"16." He replied immediately.  
  
"Good boy." She cooed stroking his arm.  
  
"Don't pet me." He said as they entered the training room.  
  
"But......" She started.  
  
"No." He snapped.  
  
"But......" She began again, taking position.  
  
"I WILL leave." He threatened.  
  
"Fine, I'm done." She threw up her hands in defeat.  
  
"That was pretty good." Lauren observed as Harper turned off the movie.  
  
"You think so." He started mindlessly stroking her hair.  
  
"Why are you petting me?"  
  
"I don't know. You want me to stop."  
  
"No, you can keep doing it. Actually, it feels relaxing."  
  
"Petting you is soothing."  
  
"Yes, it is. It makes me want to take a nap."  
  
"You can if you want to." He said, taking a few strands of her hair and twirling them in his fingers.  
  
"No. I've been sleeping way too much since IT happened."  
  
"IT?"  
  
"Yes. It's affectionately called IT. Chelsey and Trance weren't too fond of me saying 'since I got smushed.'"  
  
"You didn't 'get smushed'. I saved you."  
  
"I know. Have I thanked you yet?"  
  
"I must've missed it." He smiled leaning in to kiss her.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered, kissing him softly and savoring every moment of it.  
  
"Your welcome." He whispered when they pulled apart. "So, what do you want to do now?"  
  
"Walk." She stated simply as she sat up.  
  
"Lauren......"  
  
"Oh come on. I feel great. Better than I have in......Well, ever. Please? I don't know if it's my Nietzchean side coming through, but I hate seeing myself like this. I feel vulnerable and that doesn't sit well with me." She looked at him with honesty in her eyes.  
  
"Okay. Okay, but I'm gonna help. You may have been injected with a whole crap load of nano-bots, but they can't fix you up that fast. You were in pretty bad shape." He stood up and pulled her up too. He held her tight and close to him so that he was sure she was safe.  
  
"I know. Believe me I know. From your being paranoid to Trance telling me that no matter how advanced the nano-bots are that I may never walk again." She told him, trying to make her legs obey her mind.  
  
"Trance told you you'd never walk again." He loosened his grip so that he legs supported some of her weight.  
  
"She said it was a possibility. I remember that first night, I woke up and nobody was there. I figured everything was fine, until I realized that I couldn't feel my legs. There was absolutely no feeling from the hips down, and I just started screaming and crying and hyperventilating. Rommie finally had to come in give me sedative because I couldn't stop." Hot pain shot through her legs as more weight was applied to them, but at least she could feel them.  
  
"I'm sorry." He let her take most of her weight, but still had a firm grip on her.  
  
"About what?" She asked, flexing her leg muscles for use.  
  
"I really wanted to be with you that night, but I had a lot of thinking to do and....well, I should've just been there." His hands flopped to his sides.  
  
"Seamus, it's okay. I'm fine, everything worked out fine. I mean, look! I'm standing all by myself, even after being told I wouldn't be able too." A huge smile lit up both their faces at the realization of what she was doing. "Oh, this is so cool! My legs don't even hurt anymore."  
  
"That's great baby, but maybe that's enough for today." He said taking hold of her again.  
  
"What?" She asked sounding like a three year old who was told not to do something.  
  
"I just don't want you to strain yourself, and I kinda like taking care of you." He hugged her around the middle, resting his forehead on hers, and closing his eyes.  
  
"And I like having you take care of me, but can I at least try?"  
  
"Yeah." He said opening his eyes and giving into the puppy dog look, she gave him. "So, how should we go about this?"  
  
"Okay, you go over there and I'll try and walk to you. You know, like teaching a baby." She smiled and pointed to the place she wanted him to stand.  
  
"Alright, ready when you are." He said as he took his play, more than ready to act if anything happened to her.  
  
"Okay." If possible, her smile widened with every step she took. It took a while, but upon making it to Harper's waiting arms, she hugged him in triumph. "If Trance could see me now."  
  
"I'm so proud of you, but we should get you back to medical. Someone's bound to be looking for you by now." He gave her a sympathetic look.  
  
"Okay, but if you'll help me, I want to try and walk there." Again with the puppy eyes.  
  
"Alright." He agreed and they left on their journey to medical. 


	11. Chapter 11

"Ouch! Tyr, you hit me!" Sammie cried and rubber her shoulder.  
  
"Is that not permitted?" He asked, giving her a sardonic look.  
  
"Well, I didn't think you would hit so hard." She went over to him and nuzzled against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.  
  
"Tyr, are you cheating on me!?!" Chelsey gasped from the doorway.  
  
"Get out." Sammie seethed.  
  
"Make me." Chelsey folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. Sammie promptly dashed out the door and chased Chelsey down the hall. She caught Chelsey by the back of the uniform and slammed her into the wall. "Sammie, wait." Chelsey pleaded, "I can explain."  
  
"Be quick." Sammie snapped.  
  
"This is all a joke Lauren and I are playing on Tyr and we could use your help if you're willing." Chelsey explained quickly. Sammie released Chelsey and spun her around.  
  
"And why should I help you?" Sammie snapped, her face only inches from Chelsey's.  
  
"Because when we break him, he'll come crawling back to you." Chelsey explained. Sammie looked thoughtful from a moment.  
  
"Okay." Sammie consented, her grip on Chelsey vanishing. "What do I do?"  
  
"I think we should go talk to Lauren." Chelsey suggested.  
  
"You go. I'm sparring." Sammie said quickly.  
  
"Right." Chelsey said with a sly smile before going towards medical.  
  
"Are we almost there yet?" Lauren let Harper carry even more of her weight.  
  
"Almost. Do your legs hurt?" He asked, accepting the weight she offered him.  
  
"Yeah." She could never lie to him.  
  
"I'll gladly carry you the rest of the way. I really don't want you to strain yourself."  
  
"Are you really that adamant about carrying me?" She stopped and looked at him.  
  
"Yes." He replied simply. He gave her the best puppy dog look he could manage and watched as she slowly caved into him.  
  
"Okay." She sighed and kissed him.  
  
"Baby, if you really want to walk you can. I just thought that you were having sort of a hard time, and you said your legs hurt, and.................."  
  
"Seamus," She softly cut him off, "Look at me. I'm a mess. I can barely walk, my legs hurt so bad that I'm about to cry, everything in my life is going wrong, except for you, and at the moment, I just really want to be shot."  
  
"Please don't say that." He whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I just feel so useless right now." She rested her forehead on his shoulder.  
  
"Your not useless," He wrapped his arms around her, "Your practically the only thing keeping me from flipping' out. I just..................I love you and since Rommie's got a whole crap load of engineers I'm not really needed anymore. Now your hurt and you need me to take care of you, I guess that I kind of feel like you won't need me around anymore after you get better. Like you won't love me anymore."  
  
"Seamus," She picked her head up and looked deep into his eyes. "I will always need you and how could you ever think that I won't love you. I've loved you from the first time I saw you."  
  
"I'm sorry. I know that you'll always love me and I'll always love you too, but you won't always need me."  
  
Lauren gave a sarcastic laugh before responding, "Honey, I told you I'm suicidal, right?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why do you think I'm still here? You are the only reason I'm still alive and you are the only reason I will continue to live. My life means nothing to me and if you weren't here or if anything ever happened to you where you didn't come back, I would be lost and have no reason to keep on living." She stressed lightly.  
  
"But what about Chelsey, Melly, and Jess?" He asked.  
  
"Well, if you ever get broken, they'll be helping me super glue you back together. Okay?"  
  
"What I meant was, you'd leave all them because of me?" He reworded, genuinely curious.  
  
"Yes." She replied without hesitation.  
  
"But you were fine before you met me.................."  
  
"No." She cut him off, sounding a bit hurt.  
  
"No?"  
  
"No, I was not fine before I met you. There was no fine. Fine didn't exist."  
  
"But.................."  
  
"No 'but'." She pounded her fist on his chest. Not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to get his attention. "Okay, I have to get some more medication, then we're going to my quarters. I have to show you something. Okay?"  
  
"Okay. You still want to walk?"  
  
"Well, considering if I take another step I'll collapse. I think you should carry me."  
  
"Okay." He kissed her softly then picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to medical.  
  
"Isa, what are you doing?" Holo—Rommie asked as she materialized beside Isa.  
  
"I'm staring up at the ceiling. What does it look like?" Isa asked lightly from where she lay on her bed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm bored." Isa replied, sitting up on the edge of the bed.  
  
"I think you're depressed about Harper's decision to be with Lauren."  
  
"Maybe a little." She agreed, looking at the floor.  
  
"I, honestly, think that Harper made the wrong decision."  
  
"What?" Isa was completely shocked.  
  
"Harper deserves so much better.........I don't know what he sees in her."  
  
"Did you need something?" She asked, really not wanting to get into the Harper/Lauren subject.  
  
"You're needed in command." Andromeda replied.  
  
"Okay, just point me in the right direction" She got off the bed and followed Andromeda's directions to command.  
  
"Miss Julson, I'm glad you could make it." Dylan said when Isa entered Command. She stole a quick glance around the room and noticed that Sarah, Kristen, and Sammie were also in the room. Sammie looked less than happy to be there.  
  
"What's up?" Isa asked skeptically.  
  
"We're being haled by a ship." Dylan replied.  
  
"What does that have to do with me?" She was still skeptical.  
  
"They asked specifically for you." Rommie replied (in avatar form).  
  
"Oh. Kay." Isa walked to the front of command and stood in front of the view screen.  
  
"On screen, Rommie." Dylan commanded from his station.  
  
"Aye." Rommie confirmed. The screen soon changed to show the face of an incredibly attractive young man. (/A.N./ if you want a visual, just think Orlando Bloom).  
  
"Your majesty." He greeted with a smile and a slight bow.  
  
"Marcus?" Isa asked astonished.  
  
"Oh yeah, acknowledge her, not me." Kristen mumbled, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Isa asked, not believing her eyes.  
  
"I need to speak with you. In private." He answered. "Captain Hunt, may I request permission to come aboard?"  
  
"Of course. Rommie?" Dylan turned to face the android.  
  
"Precede to hanger bay four." Rommie told Marcus before cutting the transmission.  
  
"Lauren, you look exhausted." Chelsey observed, looking her friend over. Lauren sat on a medical bed half asleep, leaning on Harper's chest as he sat beside her.  
  
"I've been busy." She mumbled.  
  
"Doing what?" Chelsey saw Lauren smile and hug Harper around the waist.  
  
"Or who?" Rommie said, shimmering into view.  
  
"WHAT!?!" Chelsey exclaimed, looking between the hologram and Lauren, who rolled her eyes. "You're dating Isa!" She yelled at Harper.  
  
"No he's not." Lauren said, picking her head up and looking at Chelsey.  
  
"Huh?" Chelsey was confused.  
  
"Chelsey, meet my man. See, look, don't touch!" Lauren was clearly excited as she spoke a million miles a minute. "He's all mine." She smiled and kissed him before gently nestling her head in the crook of his neck. He, in turn, hugged her tightly and kissed her head. Chelsey stared at he young couple for a few moments before she grabbed at pillow and began to mercilessly beat them with it.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me!?!" She beat Lauren in the head.  
  
"Stop it, I'm injured!" Lauren laughed.  
  
"Not nearly enough!" Chelsey retorted. Then she began beating Harper, "You annoying little imp! How could you let me think that you were cheating on Isa!? And how could you........."  
  
"Chelsey!" Trance yelled from the doorway. Chelsey stopped her abuse and tied to look innocent.  
  
"Trance, Chelsey hit me." Lauren snitched and stuck her tongue out at Chelsey when the smaller Neitzchean glared at her.  
  
"I saw. Chelsey? Care to explain yourself?" Trance asked as she walked into the room.  
  
"Lauren and Harper are dating and they didn't tell me." Chelsey explained quickly.  
  
"I knew it!" Trance exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Lauren and I are dating. Can someone just give her, her medicine so we can go." Harper said in exasperation.  
  
"We? Harper, Lauren hasn't been released from medical yet." Trance explained, injecting Lauren with her medication.  
  
"But she doesn't have to stay here if she doesn't want to." He countered, jumping down off the bed, "Ready to go, babe?"  
  
"Yep." She jumped down off of the bed but swayed on her feet for a moment. Harper gently took a hold of her arms to steady her.  
  
"You okay?" He asked, clearly concerned.  
  
"Just a bit of a rush. I'm okay." She said regaining her balance. "It was kina fun actually. Can I do it again?"  
  
"No." He said flatly.  
  
"Please?" She pleaded, laughter in her voice.  
  
"No." He smiled and took her hand as they began walking towards the door.  
  
"You're walking!" Trance yelled, shocked. Lauren was about out the door when a foot suddenly appeared, but she didn't notice it in time and tripped over it.  
  
"Well, I was." She replied while glaring at the owner of the foot.  
  
"Lauren?" Harper asked, helping her up.  
  
"I'm fine. No thanks to you." She snapped at the person who tripped her. Leslie walked briskly past her and into the room.  
  
"I am God. You should bow at my feet." She explained, looking smugly at Lauren.  
  
"Leslie, have you been taking your medication?" Chelsey asked.  
  
"I am God! I need no pathetic medication." Leslie boomed.  
  
"Then why are you here?" Trance asked.  
  
"I ran out of my medication." Leslie said casually as she hopped up onto a bed.  
  
"Wow, we are so leaving." Lauren said as she and Harper left.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Harper asked Lauren as they walked through the corridor.  
  
"Lots." Lauren replied simply.  
  
"Yah know.........if she's crazy why do we keep her around." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Because it's funny." She giggled and wrapped her arm around his waist.  
  
"I'm serious.........but your right, it is funny." He agreed.  
  
"Why do we keep her around? That's a good question. Rommie, could yah help me out with this one?"  
  
"Well," Rommie appeared on the view screen next to them. "She knows unmapped space almost as well as I know mapped space and .........she's funny."  
  
"Well, their yah go." Lauren said, gesturing to Rommie.  
  
"Thanks Rommie." Harper said with a smile before he and Lauren began walking again. 


	12. Chapter 12

"Now, Marcus, what do you need to talk to me about?" Isa asked. She and Marcus stood alone on the Observation deck with privacy mode engaged.  
  
"I'm not quite sure how to tell you this princess." He said, pacing in front of her.  
  
"Marcus, you've know me since I was a baby. Hell, you shared your pudding with me and after what we had. We're way past the princess stage." She explained smiling.  
  
"What should I call you then?" He smiled back brightly.  
  
"Isa."  
  
"Isa. I'm sorry to be the barer of bad news, but.........your father has past." Marcus stopped pacing and looked solemnly at Isa.  
  
"No." She said covering her tear filled eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Isa." He went to her and enveloped her in a caring embrace. She cried openly onto his shoulder listening to the soothing words his gently voice whispered while he rubbed her back lightly.  
  
"I suppose you're here to take me back." She stated after a few minutes.  
  
"No." He replied simply.  
  
"Huh?" She picked her head up and looked at him, clearly confused. "That's not the answer I had planned."  
  
"So?" He shrugged his shoulders, "Anyway, after you left, your father actually took the time to consider what you've been saying to him all these years." He elaborated.  
  
"Really?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, and he decided that instead of forcing you to come home to a life that you didn't want, he would turn the planet into a democracy."  
  
"Awe, he does love me." She smiled.  
  
"There was a time that you thought he didn't?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah. Why do you think I left?"  
  
"To take our.........your cloaking technology to Sinti."  
  
"That was my excuse. The feeling's what prompted me to go."  
  
"You left because you thought no one loved you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But I do."  
  
"Marcus........."  
  
"Please Isa." His eyes pleaded for her to listen.  
  
"Marcus, we can't." She broke away from his grasp.  
  
"Why?" He asked exasperated.  
  
"Because........." She moved farther away from him.  
  
"Why is this so hard for you? Why can't we just be us again?" He asked. "Why'd you dump me in the first place?"  
  
"We've been over this." She evaded.  
  
"But I want the truth this time." He demanded.  
  
"Because.........because you're sworn to protect me. It's your job and I couldn't help but feel that that's the only reason you were with me."  
  
"But you know it's not."  
  
"Do I !?!" She yelled.  
  
"You should! I only told you every time I saw you! I only thought about you every moment of every day!" He matched her volume with ease.  
  
"Will you just drop the subject!?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"I order you to drop the subject!!"  
  
"Too bad!!"  
  
"I have no control over you anymore!" She yelled, but added softly, "I like it."  
  
"Really?" Marcus was so surprised that his eyebrows almost shot off his head.  
  
"Yeah." Isa replied meekly. Marcus made up ground and quickly had Isa in a rough, but passionate kiss.  
  
"Marcus." Isa breathed when they pulled apart.  
  
"Shhh........." He said covering her lips with his once again, but much more gently this time. "Take me back?" He whispered when they came up for air.  
  
"I really need to think about this." She told him sincerely.  
  
"Okay. When you've come to a decision, you know where to find me." He stepped back, but held her hands.  
  
"Actually, I don't, but I'll just ask Rommie where you are."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Um, I'll talk to you later then." She squeezed his hands and kissed his cheek before leaving the room. Marcus watched her go with hopeful eyes.  
  
Harper and Lauren were in her quarters lying on her bed. Lauren was relaxing on her back, playing with Harper's hair. Harper was lying on his side, his head on her shoulder with one arm under/around her and the other resting on her stomach holding a notebook up so he could read it. He finished reading and set the notebook down on her stomach. He looked at her face and his mouth moved, but no words came out.  
  
"I told you I wasn't fine." She said watching him struggle to find his voice.  
  
"Lauren!" Isa exclaimed from the doorway. "I need to talk to you. It's urgent."  
  
"Okay." She took Harper's face in her hands, "Are you okay enough to walk or should someone come and get you?"  
  
"I can walk." He replied distantly. He got off the bed and walked to the door as Isa came into the room.  
  
"Hi Seamus." She greeted.  
  
"Hi." He replied distractedly before leaving.  
  
"Is he okay?" Isa asked when the door closed.  
  
"No." Lauren replied simply.  
  
"Okay. What'd you do?" She asked sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
"I let him read my journal. He'll be fine. He'll probably be back in about an hour to reprimand me on what I wrote." She explained, sitting up and placing the notebook on her bedside table.  
  
"Why would your journal disturb him like that?"  
  
"I'm suicidal. Now, what'd you need to talk to me about?"  
  
"Marcus." Isa said dreamily.  
  
"Who?" Lauren asked befuddled.  
  
"My personal body guard from my home world."  
  
"Okay. What about him?"  
  
"Well, a while back Marcus and I were a couple, I ended up breaking it off, now he's here, and he wants me back. I don't know what to do."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
"Very much."  
  
"So, what's the problem?" Lauren asked, conveying that she really didn't understand what the problem was.  
  
"Well, he's sworn to protect me and.........what if that's the only reason he's with me?"  
  
"God you're dumb."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Next drift we stop at, I am getting you glasses."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Can't you see that this guy is heels over head in love with you?"  
  
"Isn't it head over heels?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"You Neitzcheans can't get anything right.  
  
"Do you get what I'm saying?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why would a guy pledge his life to protect you if he didn't love you?"  
  
"Because he was supposed to."  
  
"He could have just said no."  
  
"Well, yeah. But........."  
  
"Why is this so hard for you to understand?"  
  
"Well........."  
  
"Isa, is he an honest guy? Do you trust him?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"While you two were together, did he ever tell you he loved you?"  
  
"Sometimes." Isa replied shyly.  
  
"Sometimes or every second on every day?"  
  
"The latter."  
  
"They why don't you believe him."  
  
"I do. It's just........."  
  
"No. Now, you go find Marshall........."  
  
"Marcus."  
  
"Whatever. You go find Marcus, tell him you love him and you want to get back together with hi........."  
  
Lauren couldn't finish because Harper suddenly appeared and smashed his lips against hers. Lauren just sat there with her arms crossed over her chest and looking very annoyed.  
  
"Well, I suppose I should go talk to Marcus now." Isa stated. Lauren grabbed Harper's chin and pulled his lips away from hers.  
  
"Good luck." Lauren smiled at Isa as she left. Isa could vaguely hear Lauren telling how rude he had been as she left. 


	13. Chapter 13

Isa paced back and fourth in her quarters Lauren's right. she thought why is this so difficult? I'll just tell his how I feel.........later. She spotted the box on her night stand that contained the cloaking technology.  
  
"Andromeda, where's Dylan?" She asked, picking up the box.  
  
"His quarters. Would you like me to show you the way?"  
  
"Yeah." Isa said, then began her expedition to Dylan's quarters.  
  
"Chelsey, you need a man." Lauren stated as she, Chelsey, and Harper walked into the Obs Deck.  
  
"I do now. I am a strong independent woman and I don't need a man to complete me." Chelsey replied sarcastically.  
  
"Come on. Then you can be happy like me and Lauren." Harper said kissing Lauren's hand.  
  
"Yeah? Well, I heard short and obnoxious IS in this season." Chelsey retorted.  
  
"Then you should be getting some any day now." Lauren shot.  
  
"Uh, hello." A man said, sitting on a bench by the window.  
  
"Hello." Lauren said cheerily. "What's your name?" She smiled as she walked over to him.  
  
"Marcus." He smiled, standing to greet her. "And yours, milady?"  
  
"Lauren." She stuck her hand out to shake his, but her took it and gently kissed it instead.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lauren"  
  
"Whoa, no miss, just Lauren."  
  
"Jealous much?" Chelsey asked looking at Harper, who had a stern look on his face, arms crossed, and was glaring a hole through Marcus.  
  
"No." He said, acknowledging Chelsey.  
  
"Sure you're not." She replied sarcastically.  
  
"I am not jealous. I'm protective."  
  
"Over protective. Lauren would never, ever, cheat on you."  
  
"I know, but if he even thinks of making a move on her, I'll kill him."  
  
"A little hostile, are we?" Isa appeared beside him.  
  
"A little." He conceded.  
  
"Please don't beat him up.........yah know, actually, he could take you." Isa informed him.  
  
"Hey!" Harper protested.  
  
"So, who are you friends?" Marcus asked, gesturing to Chelsey, Harper, and Isa.  
  
"Well, from what I hear, you already know Isa quite well. The short one is Chelsey and the guy is.........the love of my life."  
  
"Does he have a name?"  
  
"Harper."  
  
"Yah know, he doesn't look too happy."  
  
"No he doesn't. I'm gonna go see what's wrong, and I'll shoo Isa over here while I'm at it." Lauren suggested.  
  
"Okay." Marcus agreed. Lauren walked quickly over to the group.  
  
"Isa." Lauren said, nodding her head towards Marcus.  
  
"Thanks." Isa patted her on the back before going over to Marcus.  
  
"Chelsey?" Trance's voice came over the com.  
  
"Yeah?" Chelsey called back.  
  
"I need your help with an autopsy. Please report to medical."  
  
"I'll be there in a minute." Chelsey said before the com line was cut.  
  
"I wonder who died." Lauren muttered.  
  
"Me too. Well, I'll see you a little later." Chelsey left for medical.  
  
"Now, what's wrong with you?" Lauren asked turning to Harper.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Don't tell me that. You looked pissed."  
  
"He was all over you." He snapped.  
  
"No he wasn't. He was being polite. Besides, you're the only guy for me." She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked innocently at him.  
  
"Guy?"  
  
"Well, Chelsey is kinda cute."  
  
"Yikes."  
  
"You are the only one for me."  
  
"Am I really?" He asked playfully, while putting his arms around her.  
  
"Do you need to read my journal again?"  
  
"No! That's okay. Once is more than enough. Why do you keep that thing anyway?"  
  
"Because it reminds me of how much you've changed my life."  
  
"Awww." He smiled.  
  
"So who died?" Isa asked from behind Lauren.  
  
"Ahh!" Lauren screamed, startled, and jumped out of Harper's arms. "Don't sneak up on me like that. I'm paranoid enough as it is."  
  
"Sorry." Isa apologized, "Suicidal and paranoid?"  
  
"Yeah. I got a lot of problems. So, are you two together now or do I have to force you to be." Lauren noticed Marcus's close proximity to Isa.  
  
"We're back together." Isa smiled.  
  
"You convinced her to get back together with me?" Marcus asked, smiling at Lauren.  
  
"Yep." Lauren smiled back.  
  
"You did?" Harper asked, putting his arms possessively around Lauren.  
  
"Before you interrupted us, yes." Lauren giggled and leaned into his embrace.  
  
"Oh, Seamus, this is my former ex-boyfriend Marcus. Marcus, this is my ex, Lauren's new, boyfriend Seamus." Isa introduced.  
  
"I prefer Harper." He said shaking Marcus's hand.  
  
"I just don't understand what was used to kill him." Trance told Chelsey with a slight annoyance. Chelsey surveyed Cade's body, studying the marks that covered his neck.  
  
"Something with two dull blades of some type." Chelsey surveyed the almost parallel, slightly curved cuts. "Were there anymore cuts on the body?"  
  
"Not that I found." Trance replied as she started to fill out the paper work.  
  
"It's funny though, because if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was killed with........." Chelsey stopped when she looked at the bottom of Cade's foot, which had "Surprised?" cut into it. She immediately headed for the door. "I'm sorry, but it just occurred to me that someone's probably expecting me. I'll be back in a few minutes." She threw back over her shoulder.  
  
"I was thinking you might be down this way sooner or later." Mathew let Chelsey into his quarters.  
  
"I suppose you think you're terribly clever, don't you." She snapped.  
  
"Of course not. I'm way past clever."  
  
"Why'd you do it?"  
  
"It was good wholesome fun." Matt answered with a slight delight.  
  
"Why'd you let me know you did it?"  
  
"Just to mess with your head." Matt smirked.  
  
"Weren't you risking a lot for a sick little mind game?"  
  
"No. There is no evidence, besides your testimony. You can't prove anything."  
  
"You're too good."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Well, thanks for my first autopsy out of medical school."  
  
"Any time you want another one, just look me up." Matt offered, causing her to scowl and march towards the door.  
  
"One last thing." She stopped just before the door, "Why Cade?"  
  
"He was convenient, and dispensable, not to mention you wouldn't have asked if you'd seen him without any cloths on. Besides, he was undressing me with him eyes." Matt shivered involuntarily at the thought.  
  
"You poor soul." Chelsey told him sympathetically and then thought for a moment, "I would have thought that was Tyr's job.  
  
"Tyr's not gay." Matt told her, having NOT caught the sarcasm.  
  
"Things can change." Chelsey was trying not to laugh as she left the room.  
  
"Oh, and I hope you were pleasantly surprised." Matt called after her, while still contemplating her last statement.  
  
"It was just so horrible!" Sam (the person that was in the life pod with Cade) cried. She, Melissa, Jessica, Maggie, and Krista were all in Melissa's quarters comforting Sam on her traumatic experience.  
  
"We know." Melissa said, rubbing her arm sympathetically.  
  
"Well, we don't really know, but we can just imagine, and...and..." Maggie couldn't finish because she almost started crying herself.  
  
"Hopefully, with time, the images will pass." Krista supplied optimistically. It wasn't the best suggestion because images of a naked Cade appeared in everyone's' minds' eye.  
  
"Krista, no." Jessica told her.  
  
"Huh?" Krista was confused.  
  
"Just no." Jessica shook her head.  
  
"What saddens my subjects?" Leslie asked form the doorway.  
  
"Sam saw Cade naked." Maggie informed 'God'.  
  
"Oh, he is no more. He was naked so I smited him." Leslie reassured.  
  
"So, he's in heaven now?" Krista asked.  
  
"Oh hell no! St. Peter is still crying." Leslie replied.  
  
"So?" Holly asked. She and Dylan were sitting in his quarters over a romantic lunch.  
  
"So what?" He asked confused.  
  
"I don't know. I'm trying to make conversation. I mean, don't people talk on a first date?"  
  
"No. We're just supposed to sit and stare at each other."  
  
"Dylan..." She said exasperated.  
  
"Uh, Isa gave me some technology today."  
  
"Dylan, I was there."  
  
"Oh, yeah. That was kind of embarrassing."  
  
Well, it's not like we expected Rommie to let her in while we were making out on the couch."  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, was she laughing at us?"  
  
"Yes, you are mistaken? She was laughing at you." Holly corrected.  
  
"Very funny." Dylan replied sarcastically.  
  
"Well, you gotta admit. You did look kinda funny, but I think the poor girl's scared for life now."  
  
"Me? Look funny? Never."  
  
"You were in a pair of women's underwear, and a thong at that."  
  
"You said that you thought it would be sexy, and you DID put out." He pointed out.  
  
"You did look cute." She giggled.  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"You guys would not believe what I saw today!" Isa shouted suddenly. She, Marcus, Lauren, and Harper were all seated in a Semi-cluster in Lauren's quarters. Isa and Marcus were curled up in a chair; Lauren and Harper were cuddled up on the couch.  
  
"What?" Lauren asked curiously.  
  
"Okay." Isa started, "First, I must warn you this story is very disturbing and may cause you to have terrible nightmares."  
  
"Maybe I should leave." Harper stated.  
  
"Oh, nothing, except my mind, could be that bad." Lauren reminded him.  
  
"Okay, go ahead Isa." Harper caved.  
  
"I SAW DYLAN IN A WOMAN'S THONG!!!!!" She cried terrified.  
  
"Oh, God, Isa I'm so sorry!" Lauren went over and hugged the frightened woman.  
  
"And you said it couldn't be that bad!" Harper exclaimed.  
  
"I didn't think Dylan would be going drag." Lauren defended herself. "Seamus has this strange thing for thongs." Lauren said as she lay back down next to him on the couch.  
  
"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to that." Marcus informed.  
  
"No one does." Harper told him.  
  
"That's 'cause I'm weird." Lauren mumbled.  
  
"Again, confused on how to react." Marcus, again, informed.  
  
"Figures." Lauren rolled over but unfortunately that wasn't anymore couch to roll on and she ended up face down on the floor.  
  
"That's attractive." Harper commented, laughing.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll just stay HERE then." She told him, getting comfortable.  
  
"Okay." He got off the couch and curled up beside her on the floor.  
  
"Awe." Isa cooed, "We got the couch." She and Marcus bolted onto the couch. "Hey, Lauren?" She asked looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"Hmmm?" Lauren moaned in acknowledgement.  
  
"When'd you get your ceiling fixed?"  
  
"The guys fixed it while I was still in Med deck...you just noticed?"  
  
"I was a little preoccupied earlier." Isa replied.  
  
"Your ceiling was broken?" Marcus asked, totally out of the loop.  
  
"A support beam gave way and my poor baby got trapped underneath." Harper explained, nuzzling his face in the crook of Lauren's neck causing her to giggle.  
  
"Oh, Geeze, are you okay?" Marcus asked.  
  
Lauren rolled over and looked at Marcus like he was an absolute idiot. "No, Marcus, I died." She stated simply.  
  
"Oh. Kay." He replied, realizing his own stupidity.  
  
"I'm hungry." Harper whined.  
  
"Me too." Isa complained.  
  
"Seamus, why don't you and Marcus go make some popcorn. Isa and I'll find a movie to watch or something." Lauren suggested. Harper looked over at Marcus who shrugged in agreement, then they both went into the kitchen. Isa sat up on the couch and Lauren soon joined her.  
  
"You know, your boyfriend is such a shmuck!"  
  
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Isa stated sardonically.  
  
"So, what do you think the guys are gonna wanna watch?"  
  
"Lets pick out a chick flick." Isa suggested with a smile.  
  
"Like what?" Lauren got up and walked over to where her movies were.  
  
"Kate and Leopold?" Isa suggested.  
  
"For the love of God no!" Lauren countered.  
  
"Yeller?" Isa guessed another.  
  
"That's not a chick flick, is it?" Lauren contemplated.  
  
"What?" Harper wondered as he and Marcus returned to the room with popcorn and sodas.  
  
"Yeller." Isa supplied.  
  
"Now that's just mean." Marcus said.  
  
"How 'bout Fargo?" Harper recommended.  
  
"No.........Seamus, I love you, but no." Lauren told him as sweetly as possible. "I've got Pretty Woman. Wanna watch that?"  
  
Lauren put the movie in as Isa nodded and the guys groaned. She then curled up on the couch with Harper, Isa, and Marcus.  
  
"Florn Drift, this is the Andromeda Ascendant, requesting permission to dock." Beka said over the Com link.  
  
"Andromeda you are clear to dock." Replied a male voice from the drift. Beka expertly docked the Andromeda and then set to work putting together a shopping list. Her train of thought crashed when Trance came in and said hello.  
  
"Hey Trance." She greeted in return.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Getting ready to shop until I drop, wanna come?"  
  
"Sure! What are we shopping for?"  
  
"Anything you want."  
  
"Okay, good. So, do you have a shopping list?"  
  
"Yeah, this is what I've got so far." Beka said pulling up her list on the forward screen.  
  
"Tic-Tacs?" Trance asked confused.  
  
"Have you spoke to Harper lately?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well don't until I get him those Tic-Tacs."  
  
"Okay. Um, Beka? Why do we need to get a rubber ducky?"  
  
"That's a gag gift for Tyr."  
  
"Cool. What's a 'Gag gift'?"  
  
"Something that you buy for someone as a joke."  
  
"Oh, okay. So, when do we leave?"  
  
"Right now." Beka replied before grabbing Trance's arm and leaving. 


	14. Chapter 14

"Dylan, we've docked at Florn Drift." Andromeda called into his quarters, interrupting his romantic dance with Holly.  
  
"Give the crew the rest of the day to explore the drift." He commanded, not missing a step.  
  
"Aye Captain." She acknowledged before leaving.  
  
Chelsey was skipping down the hall (for no apparent reason) minding her own business. She had just heard the announcement that the crew was going to be allowed to explore the drift for the rest of the day. She skipped along happily, until she suddenly stopped and her face acquired an odd look.  
  
"Chelsey? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Andromeda worried from a view port nearby.  
  
"Huh? No, that's just the way I look when I'm thinking." Chelsey responded coming out of her stupor. "Andromeda, where's Lauren?"  
  
"Her quarters. Would you like me to contact her?"  
  
"No, I'll go see her myself." Chelsey said, altering her course to head towards Lauren's quarters.  
  
"So, what do you want to do? Considering we have the rest of the day off?" Lauren asked Harper, who was putting the movie away.  
  
"I owe you dinner, remember?" He smiled and sat back down next to her.  
  
"Yay! Our first date." She replied laying her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Awe, you two are so cute." Isa cooed, from where she sat beside Lauren (curled up in Marcus's arms).  
  
"We know." Harper agreed, "But you guys are cute too."  
  
"We know." They agreed.  
  
"Hey! We could double date." Isa suggested.  
  
"Baby, I think Harper and Lauren want their first date to be just them." Marcus explained.  
  
"No offense." Lauren told her.  
  
"None taken. Besides, Marc and I have some catching up to do." Isa said.  
  
"We could do something tomorrow night." Harper recommended.  
  
"Ooo, we could get everyone together and have a great big dinner." Lauren suggested enthusiastically.  
  
"That sounds good." Marcus agreed.  
  
"You're kind of a 'yes-man', you know that?" Harper informed him.  
  
"It comes from taking orders practically my entire life." Marcus shrugged.  
  
"Lauren! Lauren! Lauren! Let me in, I've got the coolest idea!" Chelsey called, knocking frantically at the door.  
  
"Chelsey, you don't have to knock, you just ask to be let in." Lauren called back, "Hell, you don't even have to ask." The door opened and Chelsey hurried in, the door closing behind her.  
  
Andromeda's hologram appeared next to Chelsey, "I'm sorry, I thought it would be funny." She shrugged.  
  
"Look what I did. A warship with a sense of humor." Harper smiled and Lauren applauded.  
  
"I have these doors. I hate 'em! I hate 'em! I hate 'em!" Chelsey pouted, sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch.  
  
"You just have to learn to outsmart the door." Isa told her.  
  
"I never knew how to feel about her." Chelsey told Lauren.  
  
"Hey!" Isa said indignantly.  
  
"She's not so bad." Lauren smiled at Isa.  
  
"What brought this on?" Chelsey asked.  
  
"Guys? I'm right here. I CAN here you." Isa interrupted.  
  
"Common ground." Lauren said, ignoring Isa, "For a time, we both wanted to wring Seamus's scrawny, albeit sexy, little neck because he's a retard." Lauren put large emphasis on the word retard.  
  
"Hey!" Harper protested. Lauren turned her head and kissed him passionately. He moaned softly into her mouth then she pulled away.  
  
"I love you." She whispered quietly, smiling at him.  
  
"I love you, too." He replied, just as softly, returning her smile.  
  
"Get a room." Chelsey snapped.  
  
"They're in a room." Marcus supplied.  
  
"Chelsey's just jealous because she hasn't got a man." Lauren shot.  
  
"Do you wanna hear about my new game or not?" Chelsey asked.  
  
"Not." Harper said quickly.  
  
"Go ahead Chelsey." Lauren threw a playful glare in Harper's direction.  
  
"Okay, it's called 'Crazy Captain'." Chelsey began.  
  
"I like it already." Lauren smiled.  
  
"I know, isn't it great? First, we have to buy out all the dental hygiene supplies on the drift, then we randomly lick Dylan." Chelsey elaborated.  
  
"And run away." Isa finished.  
  
"Are you trying to find the Tootsie-Roll at the center?" Marcus asked, slightly appalled but amused.  
  
"There's a Tootsie-Roll at the center of Dylan?" Harper asked disgusted.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to find out." Isa stated, "I'm in."  
  
"Oh, I wanna play! I wanna play! I wanna play! I wanna play! I wanna play!" Lauren waved her hand in the air like a five-year-old who knew the answer to a question.  
  
"I knew we shouldn't have to let her talk." Harper addressed Marcus.  
  
"Harper, you wound me." Chelsey gasped. "You shot me down. You're supposed to be my friend! I don't love you anymore!" She cried with over exaggerated hurt.  
  
"He looks so upset." Marcus said in a monotone voice.  
  
"I don't know you, but I don't love you either." Chelsey continued her masquerade.  
  
"Oh, yeah, Chelsey, this is my man Marcus." Isa introduced.  
  
"Oh, hi. It's nice to meet you." Chelsey smiled sweetly at Marcus.  
  
"Is she a schizophrenic?" Marcus whispered in Isa's ear, but Isa shook her head, "Bipolar?" He tried again.  
  
"I don't think so. She's probably just really weird." She whispered back.  
  
"Okay, so now we have to go shopping!" Chelsey exclaimed.  
  
"Uh," Lauren glanced at Harper, who looked solemnly at her before placing a soft sad kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Go." He let go of her to let her get up.  
  
"No." She said, turning around and grabbing his face in her hands, "This is our first date. I think it might work out better if I attend."  
  
Harper smiled despite his best efforts, "Yeah, I think that would work out pretty well."  
  
"Chelsey, I'm sorry, but I have a previous engagement that I must attend to. Why don't you go find Melly, Jess, Maggie, Krista, Sam, and Leslie and take them? I'm sure they'll wanna play too." Lauren suggested.  
  
"Hey, no prob. I'll go do that," Chelsey was absolutely bubbling with enthusiasm, "By guys, see you later, have fun." She shot over her shoulder as she dashed out of the room.  
  
"Bye." Isa giggled.  
  
"Oh God, what's wrong with her?" Marcus asked, wide eyed.  
  
"She doesn't have a man, so she gets bored and really excited over little things like that. She's usually a lot more normal." Harper explained.  
  
"You guys really need to get her a man." Marcus smiled.  
  
"We're working on it." Harper replied.  
  
"Matt." Lauren said, unexpectedly.  
  
"What, baby?" Harper asked.  
  
"We should pair Chelsey up with Matthew." She explained.  
  
"Who?" Isa asked.  
  
"He's this scrawny, little, white boy, who just happens to be an assassin. Oh, Geeze, Rommie, get me a Com to Chelsey, would yah." Lauren said.  
  
"Yeah?" Chelsey's voice filled the room.  
  
"Who died?" Lauren asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, yeah. It was Cade." Chelsey replied casually.  
  
"Awe. I'll miss him." Lauren feigned sympathy.  
  
"No you won't." Chelsey retorted.  
  
"I was being polite." Lauren countered.  
  
"I know. I gotta go. Talk to you later."  
  
"Bye." Lauren said, and then the COM was cut.  
  
"We should probably get ready to go, huh?" Isa asked Lauren.  
  
"Yeah, I've got to take a shower yet." Lauren said.  
  
"Can I come?" Harper asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Will you behave yourself?" Lauren rose and stood in front of him.  
  
"Probably not." He smiled slyly, sitting forward, putting his arms around her, and kissing her stomach gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head.  
  
"Then maybe you should take your shower in your quarters." She whispered.  
  
"I will." He whispered back with a sigh. He stood up, giving her a quick kiss, before heading for the door. "I'll pick you up in about two hours, okay sweetheart." He paused at the door.  
  
"Okay." She replied. He flashed her an award winning smile and left.  
  
"You're torturing him, you know that?" Marcus said after Harper left.  
  
"I know, but just because I'm paranoid, suicidal, and a little crazy, doesn't mean I don't have morals." Lauren smiled. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to take a shower."  
  
"That's okay. I gotta get ready anyway." Isa said. She got up and walked towards the door, "Coming Marc?"  
  
"Yeah." He got up off the couch, "Bye Lauren." He gave her a small wave and left with Isa.  
  
"See yah." Lauren waved back, and then headed for the shower.  
  
"Sammiejo?" Tyr called into the bedroom in Sammie's guest quarters.  
  
"I'm coming." She walked out of the bedroom putting on her earrings. "What?" She asked when she caught him staring.  
  
"Huh?" He asked.  
  
"Okay. You ready." She ignored his behavior.  
  
"Yes. Shall we?" He extended his elbow to her.  
  
"We shall." She hooked her arm in his. They left Sammie's quarters and headed toward the airlock. About half way there, Matthew crossed their path. He saw Tyr, stopped dead in his tracks, and turned ghost white.  
  
"Matthew, what's wrong with you?" Tyr asked gruffly.  
  
"Stay away." Matthew squeaked, while backing away.  
  
"What's wrong with you!?!" Tyr took a few steps toward the frightened Matt (Matthew is still backing away). Chelsey, Sam (not Sammie), Melissa, Jessica, Maggie, Leslie, and Krista came down the corridor. Chelsey came and stood beside a very confused Sammie. "Who is that and why do I care?" She asked, noticing Chelsey.  
  
"I'm not sure why you care, but his name is Matthew and why is he so pale?" Chelsey replied.  
  
"Why do YOU care?" Sammie smirked.  
  
"Well, uh,..................Oh, no!" Chelsey gasped, realization dawning. She darted over to Matthew and pulled him down a separate corridor motioning Tyr to stay where he was. She held him by the shoulders and looked up into his eyes. "Matt, that was a joke. I didn't mean it. You take things extremely seriously." She explained.  
  
"You were kidding." He checked. Chelsey nodded. "You made me think a good friend was gay." Matt seethed.  
  
"I didn't think you were homophobic." Chelsey defended.  
  
"You little.........Bad words! Bad words! Very bad words!" He stormed off mumbling to himself.  
  
"Matt?" Tyr asked cautiously.  
  
"Bad words! Can you hear the bad words!?!"  
  
"Uh........." Tyr was at a loss for words.  
  
"Just.........Grrrr!" Matthew stormed off down the corridor. Chelsey was standing at the corridor intersection, where Matthew had left her, laughing hysterically.  
  
"Matt, we can hear the Bad words!" Leslie shouted after him.  
  
"Child, what do you know about this?" Tyr blinked.  
  
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Chelsey sobered quickly, her face turning bright red.  
  
"You're a bad liar." Maggie observed softly.  
  
"I don't care. I'm leaving. Lets go." He shook his head, grabbed Sammie's arm, and practically ran for the airlock.  
  
"Rev?" Andromeda materialized in the Wayist monk's quarters.  
  
"Yes Andromeda?" Rev answered.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, why do you ask?"  
  
"You were humming the theme from Gilligan's Island."  
  
"That's the theme from Gilligan's Island?"  
  
"Yes, why were you humming it?"  
  
"Well, Dylan was humming it in Command the other day and I just found it very catchy. Is that wrong?"  
  
"Just a bit disturbing." She informed.  
  
"I'm sorry." He offered.  
  
"That's okay Rev." She smiled and disappeared. Matthew suddenly burst into the room, panting like a dog.  
  
"Do you need something, Matthew?"  
  
"Help, help.........Help?"  
  
"What do you need help with?"  
  
"Is it wrong to want to kill that cute little pipsqueak?"  
  
"Harper?"  
  
"Ack!!! No!! His female counterpart."  
  
"Lauren?"  
  
"The other one."  
  
"Chelsey?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes, it's wrong to want to kill her. It, however, is not wrong to call her cute though."  
  
"I did NOT call her cute."  
  
"Yes you did."  
  
"That's beside the point.........so, if I can't kill her, what can I do with her?"  
  
"Give her milk and cookies."  
  
"I want to punish her, not feed her."  
  
"Then nap on her couch drinking all her alcohol."  
  
"Yes! Thank you Rev." Matt darted out the door.  
  
"I was joking." Rev muttered at the now closed door. Shrugging slightly he turned to the pair of brand new sneakers on his bed. They were lime green with sparkly white stripes. He tried desperately to tie the shoes, but between the huge claws, having only three fingers, and no thumbs he found it quite difficult. "Andromeda, can you send your avatar down to help me tie my shoes, please?" He asked politely.  
  
"I'm on my way Rev, but why are you wearing shoes?" She replied.  
  
"Aren't they spiffy?" He asked, pulling on the laces and swinging his feet.  
  
"You've been spending too much time with Lauren." The hologram supposed.  
  
"Yes, isn't it great? You should try it." Rommie didn't reply, just faded away. The next thing that happened would haunt Andromeda's memory backs for all of eternity. Reverend Behemiel Far Traveler was skipping down her hall. No rhyme or reason, just a Magog skipping down the hall in sneakers.  
  
"Rev, what are you doing?" Isa asked. She and Marcus stood at the end of the corridor Rev was skipping down.  
  
"I'm trying out one of Lauren's favorite recreational activities." He replied, ballet dancing over to the couple.  
  
"Yes, but why?" She inquired.  
  
"I just thought I would see how it felt." The good Reverend explained.  
  
"Nice sneakers." Marcus observed.  
  
"Thank you. Lauren got them for me." Rev explained.  
  
"It shows." Isa told him.  
  
"Where are you two off to?" The Wayist inquired.  
  
"Just a date." Marcus told him.  
  
"Oh, Rev, this is my boyfriend Marcus. Marc, this is Rev. He's a Wayist. Don't worry, he won't eat you." Isa introduced.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Marcus smiled.  
  
"It's nice to meet you as well, but, Isa, I thought you and Harper were something of an item." Rev commented.  
  
"We were, but it got complicated, and he's with Lauren now and I'm back together with Marc." Isa summarized.  
  
"Back?" Rev asked.  
  
"We were together when I was younger, but we broke up." Isa explained.  
  
"But we're back together not." Marcus finished.  
  
"That's nice. I suppose I should let you two get going on your date."  
  
"Okay. Thanks Rev." Isa called as she and Marcus left.  
  
"Those kids change partners more than the people on That Seventies Show.........Wow, I have been spending too much time with Lauren." Rev mused thoughtfully while walking away.  
  
"Oh Look! Another store with dental hygiene stuff!" Maggie exclaimed after entering the twelfth shop looking for dental hygiene supplies.  
  
"Oh Yippee!" Chelsey followed her inside.  
  
"I command you to stop looking for dental stuff and get me some yogurt!" Leslie stood tiredly in the doorway, along with the rest of their group.  
  
"Okay." Chelsey and Maggie shrugged disappointedly.  
  
"And where is my yogurt?" Leslie raised an eyebrow.  
  
"In there." Maggie pointed to the shop's refrigerator, and Chelsey laughed. Leslie picked up the cash register, threw it through the glass case, and took the yogurt.  
  
"Ma'am, can I help you?" The shopkeeper asked.  
  
"No, I got it." She said picking up the cash register and walking out of the door with it, and her yogurt. Then the keeper pushed the button that called security, as everyone nearby laughed.  
  
"Hey sweetie, you ready?" Harper called as he walked into Lauren's quarters.  
  
"Yep." Lauren smiled happily as she came out of her bedroom.  
  
"You look breast taking." He observed.  
  
"What?!" Lauren covered her chest with her hands and looked wide eyed at her other half.  
  
"Huh?" He raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"I'm changing my shirt." She headed back towards her bedroom.  
  
"What? Why?" He finally quit staring.  
  
"You just said I was BREAST taking." She turned to him.  
  
"Breath! Breath! I mean Breath! Please don't change your shirt."  
  
"Too much cleavage. None for you." She once again turned back to her room.  
  
"No! Come on, I'll be good, I promise." He pleaded.  
  
"You promise?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay." She caved and went back to him. "Are you sure I look okay?"  
  
"You look so unbelievably gorgeous, that when I look at you, my breath catches in my throat and my heart skips a beat." He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly.  
  
"You're so cute." She blushed.  
  
"Yeah, it's a curse." He smiled. "Ready?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." She took his hand and they left. 


	15. Chapter 15

"I am God! Make me a sandwich!" Leslie yelled at the two bored guards standing outside of her cell in the drift's maximum-security prison (only two blocks from the mall). "How long will it take you pathetic mortals to realize you should make me a sandwich!?!" Leslie yelled at them, rattling the bars.  
  
"What in the bluest of blue moons is all that racket!?!" Sam Cotter, the prison Master General, asked as he came down the hall towards Leslie's cell. (A.N. I don't know what the position is really supposed to be called.)  
  
"I am the God of all things that believe in a God, now MAKE ME A SANDWICH!!!" Leslie yelled, sticking her arm through the bars and pointing her finger erratically at him.  
  
"And what will you do if I don't?" Sam raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I will shove them up you!!!" Leslie elaborated, motioning as if she were directing planes to land.  
  
"Will it make you be quiet?" Sam asked a little red in the face.  
  
"Yes...and just so you know, I want herb and cheddar with white cheese, turkey breast, lettuce, pickles, Mayo, chips, and a slergy! Baked fresh everyday, from Subway." Leslie explained.  
  
"Fine, but what's a slergy?" Sam asked confused.  
  
"It's a mixture of all the pop's there." Leslie told him as if it was the stupidest question in the world.  
  
"All righty then, I'll be back later." Sam said leaving.  
  
"Dude, he's hot." Leslie sighed, after he left.  
  
"I heard that!" He called back from the door. "I thought God had a quiet voice."  
  
"I'm not God." Leslie replied sincerely.  
  
Lauren and Harper were sitting in a restaurant having a pleasant conversation waiting for a waiter to come over to take their orders.  
  
"Military intelligence. That's such an oxymoron. It's right up there with deafening silence, loving hate, cuddly Magog-"  
  
"I find Rev Bem to be very cuddly." Lauren told him, hoping she could get him off the military strategies used in WWIII he'd been discussing.  
  
"Okay, maybe, but have you seen the way he looks at people sometimes, like they might make a really good steak?" He asked with a smile, only half serious. "What about Cuddly Neitzcheans?"  
  
"Chelsey."  
  
"Okay, wrong again." Harper laughed.  
  
"Seamus, honey, you know your not supposed to talk politics on a first date." Lauren said, leaning across the table slightly.  
  
"Lauren, I've know you for.........but this is.........I'm confused." He tried and failed.  
  
"It's okay, you're just like a big dumb baby." She reached across the table and patted his head. Harper had just enough time to stick his tongue out at her before the waiter showed up (a snooty tall man with slick black hair).  
  
"May I take your order?" He asked taking out his note pad.  
  
"Uh, sure." Harper replied, opening his menu. "I'll have the Fettuccini Alfredo and a side salad, with Italian dressing."  
  
"And I'll have the popcorn shrimp basket, and a side salad with Ranch dressing." Lauren smiled.  
  
"And bring us a bottle of your cheapest wine...and no ice." Harper smiled.  
  
"No ice?" The waiter raised a thinly plucked eyebrow, and Lauren looked curiously at her boyfriend.  
  
"They don't charge you for the water, the ice is where they get cha." He justified his decision to Lauren. The waiter looked appalled and then his face acquired a sly grin.  
  
"That's a specialty order, I'm going to have to charge you for that."  
  
"What an arm and a leg?" Lauren looked at him.  
  
"Perhaps." The waiter replied.  
  
"Get our food." Lauren snapped.  
  
"Please." Harper added.  
  
"Not you're just being rude." The waiter turned sharply and stomped off.  
  
"He's gonnna spit in my Alfredo, isn't he?" Harper looked innocently at Lauren.  
  
"Don't give me that look, you asked for no ice. God you're cheap." Lauren snapped slightly at him.  
  
"You ordered the cheapest thing on the menu."  
  
"Don't you dare play angel with me, I've known you too long."  
  
"I wasn't........."  
  
"No ice?"  
  
"I give up. You're too hard to scam."  
  
"I'm not too hard to scam, I'm paranoid. The government is out to get me."  
  
"The government is not out to get us."  
  
"You're right, it's not out to US it's out to get ME! Moreover, just 'cause you're not paranoid, doesn't mean that they're not out to get you too."  
  
"Geeze you're strange."  
  
"But you love me."  
  
"Yeah I do."  
  
"That was a wonderful dinner, Tyr." Sammie squeezed his hand as they walked out of the very expensive restaurant he had taken her to for their date.  
  
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He replied.  
  
"Now what are we gonna do?" Sammie asked curiously.  
  
"Well we could always........."  
  
"Again?" She asked, only half serious, "Got any better ideas?"  
  
"Um, not really. We could go kill people."  
  
"What?"  
  
"How do you think I paid for that dinner?"  
  
"Well.........You learn something new everyday then I guess. Let's stalk people."  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Tyr raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh come on. We could find Isa and Harper, and just stare at them for like, twenty minutes."  
  
"Fine." Tyr caved, "But knowing Harper they're in the cheapest restaurant on this drift." He informed, before walking off with Sammie.  
  
"Dylan?"  
  
"Yes Andromeda?" He replied curled up on the couch with a sleeping Holly (they had been watching a movie).  
  
"You're needed on the drift. There's been an.........incident."  
  
"What kind of incident?"  
  
"Leslie is in the drift's Maximum-Security prison, for stealing a cash register, stealing some yogurt, mooning the owner of the drift, and, let's not forget, grand theft moped. She also threatened the Master General of the prison." Andromeda smirked.  
  
"Why is practically all of my crew insane?"  
  
"Maybe it's you.........I mean, you ARE the captain."  
  
"That's not funny."  
  
"You better get over there. The penalty for mooning the owner is very.........well, let's just say, it's not good."  
  
"They actually made laws about mooning?"  
  
"Apparently it happens with a degree of frequency."  
  
Dylan just shook his head and left to retrieve his resident schizophrenic.  
  
"This is a pretty good slergy." Leslie commented to Sam, who was sitting across from her cell, watching her intently.  
  
"Thanks, I think." He replied.  
  
"So, when do I get out of here?"  
  
"Um.........that's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know."  
  
"But I do know. I know everything, I'm God, remember? But then again, I do know nothing, so does that make me a bad God?"  
  
"Umm............just eat your sandwich."  
  
"You want some?"  
  
"No thanks, I'm not a big herb person."  
  
"Fine, more for me."  
  
"Okie dokie."  
  
"Hey, come here." Leslie whispered.  
  
"Why?" Sam asked nervously.  
  
"Just 'cause."  
  
"That's not a good enough reason."  
  
"I command you to come here."  
  
"Okay." Sam complied walking over to Leslie's cell.  
  
"Closer please." Leslie said and Sam leaned in a little closer. Without a second thought, Leslie licked Sam's cheek. "Mmmm, you taste good."  
  
"Sir?" A man asked form the doorway.  
  
"Yes?" Sam answered, walking over to the man.  
  
"Captain Hunt is here, sir." The man replied.  
  
"I'm on my way." He replied.  
  
A few minutes later, Sam returned with Dylan in tow.  
  
"Hey Dylan! How's it hangin'?"  
  
"Uh.........never mind. What did you do!?!"  
  
"I got some yogart.........and a sandwich." She held up her sandwich.  
  
"Mr. Cotter here says that you threatened him, so he would get you that sandwich, is that true?"  
  
"Yeppers. My exact words were, 'I will shove them up you!!!'. So really, it wasn't a threat, but more of a fun physics experiment gone horribly, horribly wrong. They wouldn't give me their consent."  
  
"I give up. Let's go." Dylan rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
"May I accompany you? She is still under my jurisdiction." Sam said.  
  
"Sure." Dylan replied. Leslie came out of her cell and was promptly handcuffed. They walked out into the hall heading back towards the Andromeda when Leslie suddenly turned towards Dylan and licks his cheek.  
  
"You don't taste half as good as he did." Leslie said pointing at Sam. Dylan's face turned red with anger and Leslie ran for her life, all the way back to the Andromeda.  
  
"Chelsey, my faithful young disciple, I need SCOPE!!!" Leslie screamed as she ran down the hall to Chelsey's quarters.  
  
Matthew was lying on Chelsey's couch, drinking the last bottle of whiskey finishing all the alcohol in Chelsey's quarters.  
  
"I love Jack Daniels.........he's my best friend." He stared lovingly at the bottle. Suddenly in ran Leslie squealing something about Scope, effectively waking Matthew out of his daze. Leslie ran to the couch and stood in front of Matthew panting. Matthew looked at Leslie with unfocused eyes.  
  
"You need a drink." Matthew slurred drunkenly, holding the bottle up to her.  
  
"But I need.........hey thanks!" Leslie said, taking the bottle and guzzling.  
  
"Hey don't drink it all that's the last of it!" Matthew mumbled attempting to reach Leslie, only to collapse half way off the couch, out cold. In barged Dylan and Mr. Cotter as Leslie finished the last of the alcohol.  
  
"What did you do to him?" Dylan exclaimed glancing at Matthew.  
  
"Chelsey did it, these are her quarters. Duh!" Leslie exclaimed emphatically.  
  
"Chelsey isn't here!" Dylan retorted.  
  
"He did it!" she pointed to Sam.  
  
"He just got here." Dylan reminded her.  
  
"He did to himself, just ask him!" she folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"He's out cold." Sam observed.  
  
"Well, wake him up." Leslie stated.  
  
"Alright, V-Deck! Now!" Dylan said forcefully. Leslie hung her head and went without a fuss to the Brig. "Now, you just stay here and think about what you did!!" Dylan told her, closing the door on her cell.  
  
"I'm not two." She mumbled at his retreating back, she was then left alone, or at least she thought she was alone. 


End file.
